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SIOS  ANGELA 


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NARRATIVES 


OP 


COLORED  AMERICANS. 


God  "hath  made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of  men  for  to 
dnell  on  all  the  face  of  '.he  earth." — ACTS  xvii.,  26. 


PR1KTSD    BY  ORDER  OF   THE  TRUSTEES  OF  THE    RESIDUARY 
ESTATE    OF    LINDLEY    MURRAY. 


NEW  YORK: 

WILLIAM  WOOD  &  CO.,  27  GREAT  JONES  STREET. 
1875. 


2 

LIJTDLET  MUBRAY,  the  Grammarian,  and  author  of  sev- 
eral excellent  School  and  Reading  books,  in  his  last  Will  be- 
queathed certain  funds  to  Trustees  in  America,  his  native 
country,  for  several  benevolent  objects,  including  the  gratui- 
tous distribution  of  "  books  calculated  to  promote  piety  and 
virtue,  and  the  truth  of  Christianity." 

The  Trustees  have  had  "  The  Power  of  Religion  on  the 
Mind,  in  Retirement,  Affliction,  and  at  the  approach  of 
D:'ath,"  stereotyped,  and  several  thousand  copies  printed  and 
distributed. 

They  also  publish  the  following  Narratives  compiled  by  A. 
Motfc,  and  M.  S .  Wood,  believing  they  will  prove  acceptable 
reading  to  our  Colored  Americans. 


JOHN  P.  TROW  &  SON, 

PRINTERS   AND  BOOKBINDERS, 

205-213  East  izt/t  St., 

NEW  YORK. 


CONTENTS. 

TAGS 

AFRICAN  SERVANT,  THE 88 

AFRICAN  PRINCE,  THE 212 

AFRICAN  SCHOOLS  IN  NEW  YORK 242 

AFRICANS,  THE  INJURED 245 

ANCASS 74 

A  N  K<  •  DOTE 101 

ANECDOTE 205 

AN  INCIDENT 62 

BANNEKER,  BENJAMIN 60 

BA v LEY,  SOLOMON 133 

BELL,  LET  ME  RING  THE 53 

BKNK/ET,  ANTHONY 230 

BIBLE,  LOVE  FOR  THE 272 

BILLY  AND  JENNY 182 

BOWEN,  WILLIAM. 229 

BOYD,  HENRY 251 

Bucc AN,  QUAMINO 257 

CAREY,  LOTT 191 

CHRISTIAN,  AN  AGED 45 

CHRISTIAN  KINDNESS 48 

CLAUINDA,  A  Pious  COLORED  WOMAN 143 

COFFIN 210 

COSTON,  EZEKIEL 203 

CUFFEE,  CAPTAIN  PAUL 126 

CHRISTMAS  HYMN  AT  ST.  HELENA'S  ISLAND 213 

DADDY  DAVY 37 

DERHAM,  JAMES 211 

EMANCIPATION  IN  NEW  YORK 263 

FAITH  OF  A  POOR  BLIND  WOMAN 241 

FERGUSON,  KATY 69 

FOUNDLING,  THE  COLORED 206 

FREEDMEN  OF  AMERICA 264 

GOOD  MASTER  AND  His  FAITHFUL  SLAVE,  THE 200 

GRATITUDE  IN  A  LIBERATED  SLAVE 225 

HAM,  FALLACIES  RESPECTING  THE  RACE  OF 14 

HARDY,  GEORGE 186  • 

HOSPITABLE  NEGRO  WOMAN 222 

HYMN  SUNG  AT  ST.  HELENA'S  ISLAND 272 

INDIAN,  THE  GOOD  OLD 238 


220&1.1. 


iv  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

KINDNESS,  A  LITTLE  ACT  OF 103 

LETTERS  FROM  A  LADY  IN  RICHMOND,  VA 270 

LIBERTY,  EXTRAORDINARY  EXERTIONS  TO  OBTAIN 238 

LIE,  HE  NEVER  TOLD  A 37 

LION,  DELIVERANCE  FROM 9 

LITTLE  WA S3 

LUCAS,  BELINDA 1 1>4 

LIBERTY  TO  THE  CAPTIVE. 276 

MISSIONARY  Box,  THE 35 

MONTJOY,  ZlLPAH 100 

MORRIS,  AGNES £26 

MUNIFICENCE,  EXTRAORDINARY 234 

NAIMBANNA 150 

NEGRO,  THE  GENEROUS 123 

NEGRO,  THE  GRATEFUL. 20S 

NO-ACCOUNT  JOHNNY 18 

NURSE,  THE  FAITHFUL 2^9 

OLD  DINAH 16 

OLD  SUSAN 103 

POOR  POMPEY 74 

POOR  SARAH Ill 

PRAYER,  ANSWER  TO 12 

PRAYER,  THE  AFRICAN  SERVANT'S ICO 

PROVIDENCE,  TRUST  IN 23 

REPENTANCE  AND  AMENDMENT  IN  A  COLORED  SCHOOL 63 

SAAT. 30 

SACRIFICE,  THE  LIVING 27 

SLAVE,  THE  BLIND,  IN  THE  MINES 97 

SLAVE,  FLIGHT  OF  A 55 

SLAVE,  THE  PSALM  OF  THE 34 

SLAVE  SHOEMAKER,  THE 51 

SLAVES,  GRATITUDE  OF 50 

STORM  AT  SEA,  A 81 

TEACHERS,  A  HOTTENTOT'S  LOVE  FOR  HER 26 

TEMPTATION  RESISTED  AND  HONESTY  REWARDED 236 

Ti;i  TH,  SOJOURNER 55 

TEMPERANCE  MEETING  IN  AFRICA. 274 

UNCLE  HARRY 213 

UNCLE  JACK 46 

VASSA,  GUSTAVUS 169 

WHEATLEY,  PHILLIS 5 

WIFE,  THE. 24 

ZACHARY  AMD  THE  Boy .    21 


PHILLIS    WHEATLEY. 

IN  1761  John  Wheatley's  wife  went  to  the  slave 
market  in  Boston,  for  a  girl  whom  she  might  train  to 
wait  upon  her  in  her  old  age.  At  that  time  ships 
were  sent  from  Boston  to  Africa  after  cargoes  of 
slaves,  which  were  sold  to  the  people  of  Massachu- 
setts. Among  a  group  of  more  robust  and  healthy 
children  just  imported  from  Africa,  the  lady  observed 
one  of  slender  form,  suffering  from  change  of  climate 
and  the  miseries  of  the  voyage.  She  was  inter- 
ested in  the  poor  little  girl,  bought  her,  and  took 
her  home.  The  child,  who  was  named  Phillis,  was 
almost  naked,  her  only  covering  being  a  strip  of 
dirty  carpet ;  but  in  a  short  time  the  effects  of  com- 
fortable clothing  and  food  were  visible  in  her  return- 
ing health. 

Phillis  at  the  time  of  her  purchase  was  between 
seven  and  eight  years  of  age,  and  the  intention  of  her 
mistress  was  to  train  her  as  a  servant ;  but  the  intelli- 
gence which  the  young  girl  soon  exhibited,  induced 
her  mistress's  daughter  to  teach  her  to  read.  Such 
was  the  rapidity  with  which  she  learned,  that  in  six- 
teen months  from  the  time  of  her  arriving  in  the 
family,  the  African  child  had  so  mastered  the  English 


6  PHILLIS    WHEATLEY. 

language,  to  which'  she  was  an  utter  stranger  before, 
that  she  could  read  with  ease  the  most  difficult  parts 
of  the  Bible.  Her  uncommon  intellect  altered  the 
intentions  of  the  family  regarding  Phillis,  and  she  was 
kept  about  the  person  of  her  mistress,  whose  affection 
she  won  by  her  amiable  disposition  and  pleasing 
manners.  All  her  knowledge  was  obtained  without 
any  instruction,  except  what  was  given  her  in  the 
family ;  and  in  four  years  from  the  time  she  was 
•fcolen  from  Africa,  and  when  only  twelve  years  of 
age,  she  was  capable  of  writing  letters  to  her  friends 
on  various  subjects. 

The  young  colored  girl  became  an  object  of  veiy 
general  attention  and  astonishment ;  and  in  a  few 
years  she  corresponded  with  several  persons  in  high 
stations.  As  she  grew  up  to  womanhood,  her  attain- 
ments kept  pace  with  the  promise  of  her  earlier 
years ;  the  literary  people  of  Boston  supplied  her 
with  books  and  encouraged  her  intellectual  powers. 
This  was  greatly  assisted  by  her  mistress,  who  treated 
her  like  a  child  of  the  family,  admitted  her  to  her 
own  table,  and  introduced  her  as  an  equal  to  the  best 
society  ;  but  Phillis  never  departed  from  the  humble 
and  unassuming  deportment  which  distinguished  her 
when  she  stood  a  little  trembling  child  for  sale  in 
the  slave  market.  She  respected  the  prejudice  against 
her  color,  and,  when  invited  to  the  tables  of  the  great 
or  wealthy,  she  chose  a  place  apart  for  herself,  that 
none  might  be  offended  at  a  thing  so  unusual  as  sit- 
ting at  table  with  a  woman  of  color. 


PHILLIS    WIIEATLEY.  7 

Such  was  the  modest  and  amiable  disposition  of 
Phillis  Wheatley.  She  studied  Latin,  and  her  trans- 
lations show  that  she  made  considerable  progress  in 
it ;  and  she  wrote  poetry.  At  the  age  of  fourteen 
she  appears  to  have  first  attempted  literary  composi- 
tion, and  by  the  time  she  was  nineteen  the  whole 
of  her  printed  poems  appear  to  have  been  written. 
They  were  published  in  London  in  1773  in  a  small 
volume  of  above  120  pages,  containing  thirty -nine 
pieces,  which  she  dedicated  to  the  Countess  of  Hunt- 
ington.  This  work  has  gone  through  several  editions 
in  England  and  America. 

Most  of  her  poetry  has  a  religious  or  moral  bear- 
ing ;  all  breathes  a  soft  and  sentimental  feeling ; 
many  pieces  were  written  on  the  death  of  friends.  In 
a  poem  addressed  to  a  clergyman  on  the  death  of  his 
wife,  some  beautiful  lines  occur  : 

';  0  come  away,"  her  longing  spirit  cries, 
' '  And  share  with  me  the  rapture  of  the  skies. 
Our  bliss  divine  to  mortals  is  unknown, 
Immortal  life  and  glory  are  our  own. 
Here  too  may  the  dear  pledges  of  our  love 
Arrive,  and  taste  with  us  the  joys  above  ; 
Attune  the  harp  to  more  than  mortal  lays, 
And  join  with  us  the  tribute  of  their  praise 
To  Him  who  died  stern  justice  to  atone, 
And  make  eternal  glory  all  our  own." 

A  poem  on  the  Providence  of  God  contains  the 
following : 


PHILLIS    WHEATLEY. 

"  All-wise,  Almighty  Providence,  we  trace 
In  trees,  and  plants,  and  all  the  flowery  race, 
As  clear  as  in  the  nobler  frame  of  man, 
All  lovely  ensigns  of  the  Maker's  plan. 
The  power  the  same  that  forms  a  ray  of  light, 
That  called  creation  from  eternal  night." 

From  a  beautiful  address  and  prayer  to  the  Deity : 

"Great God,  incomprehensible,  unknown 
To  sense,  we  bow  at  thine  exalted  throne. 
0  while  we  crave  thine  excellence  to  feel, 
Thy  sacred  presence  to  our  hearts  reveal, 
And  give  us  of  that  mercy  to  partake, 
Which  Thou  hast  promised  for  the  Saviour's  sake." 

About  the  twenty-first  year  of  her  age  Phi  His  was 
liberated  ;  but  she  continued  in  her  master's  family, 
where  she  was  much  respected.  Her  health  was  deli- 
cate, and  her  physician  having  recommended  a  sea- 
voyage,  it  was  arranged  that  she  should  visit  Eng- 
land. She  had  not  before  been  parted  from  her 
adopted  mother,  and  the  separation  was  painful  to 
both  of  them. 

Phillis  was  received  and  admired  in  the  first  circles 
of  English  society,  her  poems  published,  and  her  por- 
trait engraved.  Her  countenance  appears  to  have 
been  pleasing,  and  her  head  highly  intellectual.  The 
health  of  Mrs.  Wheatley  declined,  and  she  longed  for 
her  beloved  companion.  On  the  first  notice  of  hert 
benefactress's  desire  to  see  her,  Phillis,  whose  humility 
was  not  shaken  by  flattery  and  attention,  re-embarked 


DELIVERANCE    OF   A    HOTTENTOT    FROM   A    LION.       9 

for  Boston.  Within  a  short  time  after  her  return 
she  stood  by  the  dying  bed  of  her  mistress,  mother, 
and  friend,  and  Phillis  Wheatley  found  herself  alone. 
Shortly  after  the  death  of  her  friend  she  mar- 
ried a  respectable  man  of  her  own  color,  named 
Peters.  He  was  a  remarkable  person — -of  good  char- 
acter, a  fluent  writer,  a  ready  speaker,  and  altogether 
an  intelligent,  educated  man.  He  was  a  grocer  by 
trade,  and,  as  a  lawyer,  pleaded  the  cause  of  his 
brethren,  the  Africans,  before  the  courts.  Phillis 
was  twenty-three  at  the  time  of  her  marriage.  The 
connection  did  not  prove  a  happy  one,  and  she  being 
of  a  susceptible  mind  and  delicate  constitution,  fell 
into  a  decline,  and  died  in  1780,  about  the  twenty- 
sixth  year  of  her  age. 


DELIVERANCE  OF  A  HOTTENTOT  FROM  A 
LION. 

A  METHODIST  missionary  named  Kay,  relates  the 
following  occurrence : 

I  visited  a  poor  sick  Hottentot  in  the  south  of 
Africa,  who  recently  experienced  one  of  the  most  re- 
mai-kable  and  providential  deliverances  I  ever  heard 
of.  I  found  him  in  great  pain,  from  the  wounds  he 
had  received  on  that  occasion.  He  gave  me  a  de- 
scription of  his  escape  from  the  jaws  of  a  lion,  which 
he  ascribes  wholly  to  the  gracious  interposition  of  the 

Father  of  mercies. 
1* 


10    DELIVERANCE    OF    A    HOTTENTOT    FROM    A    LION. 

About  a  month  ago  he  went  on  a  hunting  excursion, 
accompanied  by  several  other  natives.  On  an  exten- 
sive plain  they  found  an  abundance  of  game,  and  dis- 
covered a  immber  of  lions,  who  appeared  to  be  dis- 
turbed by  their  approach.  A  very  large  male  lion 
began  slowly  to  advance  towards  the  party,  many  of 
whom  were  young  and  unaccustomed  to  such  formi- 
dable animals.  They  all  dismounted  and  prepared 
to  fire,  and,  according  to  custom,  began  to  tie  their 
horses  together  by  the  bridles,  with  a  view  to  keep 
them  between  themselves  and  the  lion  until  they  were 
able  to  take  deliberate  aim. 

Before  the  horses  were  properly  fastened,  the  mon- 
ster made  a  tremendous  bound  or  two,  and  suddenly 
pounced  upon  the  hind  part  of  one  of  the  horses, 
which  plunged  forward  and  knocked  down  the  poor 
Hottentot.  His  comrades  took  flight,  and  ran  off  with 
all  speed.  He  rose  as  quickly  as  possible  to  follow 
them ;  but  no  sooner  had  he  regained  his  feet  than 
the  majestic  beast  stretched  forth  his  paw,  and,  strik- 
ing him  behind  the  neck,  brought  him  to  the  ground 
again.  He  then  rolled  on  his  back,  and  the  lion  set 
his  foot  upon  his  breast,  and  lay  down  upon  him. 
The  poor  man  now  became  almost  breathless,  partly 
from  fear,  but  principally  from  the  pressure  of  his 
terrific  load.  He  moved  a  little  to  gain  air,  but, 
feeling  this,  the  lion  seized  his  left  arm,  close  to  the 
elbow,  and  amused  himself  with  the  limb  for  some 
.time,  biting  it  in  different  places,  down  to  the  hand.  . 

All  this  time  the  lion  did  not  seem   to  be  angry, 


DELIVERANCE   OF   A   HOTTENTOT   FROM   A  LION.    11 

but  merely  caught  at  the  arm  as  a  cat  sports  with  a 
mouse  that  is  not  quite  dead,  so  that  there  was  not 
a  single  bone  broken,  as  there  would  have  been  if  the 
lion  had  been  hungry  or  irritated.  While  in  great 
agony,  and  expecting  every  moment  to  be  torn  limb 
from  limb,  the  sufferer  cried  to  his  companions  for 
assistance,  but  cried  in  vain.  On  raising  his  head  a 
little,  the  beast  opened  his  dreadful  jaws  to  receive  it, 
but  his  hat  only  was  rent,  and  points  of  the  teeth  only 
grazed  his  skull.  The  lion  set  his  foot  on  the  arm 
from  which  the  blood  was  freely  flowing,  his  paw  was 
soon  covered  therewith,  and  he  again  and  again  licked 
it  clean,  and,  with  flaming  eyes,  appeared  half  inclined 
to  devour  the  man. 

"At  this  critical  moment,"  said  the  poor  victim, 
"  I  recollected  having  heard  that  there  is  a  God  in 
heaven  who  is  able  to  deliver  at  the  last  extremity, 
and  I  began  to  pray  that  He  would  save  me,  and  not 
allow  the  lion  to  eat  my  flesh."  While  the  Hotten- 
tot was  thus  engaged  in  calling  on  God,  the  animal 
turned  himself  completely  round.  On  perceiving 
this,  the  man  attempted  to  get  from  under  him,  but 
the  lion  became  aware  of  his  intention,  and  laid  terri- 
ble hold  of  his  right  thigh,  which  gave  excruciating 
pain.  "He  again  sent  up  his  cry  to  God  for  help,  nor 
were  his  prayers  in  vain.  The  huge  creature  rose  from 
his  seat,  and  walked  majestically  off  about  thirty  or 
forty  paces,  and  then  lay  down  on  the  grass  as  if  to 
watch  his  victim,  who  ventured  to  sit  up,  which  at- 
tracted die  lion's  attention  j  he  made  no  attack,  but 


12  ANSWER    TO    PRAYER. 

rose,  took  his  departure,  and  was  seen  no  more. 
The  man  soon  arose,  took  up  bis  gun,  and  hastened  to 
his  terrified  companions,  who  had  given  him  up  for 
dead.  He  was  set  upon  a  horse,  and  taken  to  the 
place  where  I  found  him. 

Dr.  Gambier  hastened  to  his  relief,  and  thought 
the  appearance  of  the  wounds  so  alarming  that  am- 
putation of  the  arm  was  absolutely  necessary.  To  this, 
however,  the  man  would  not  consent,  as  he  had  a  num- 
ber of  young  children,  whose  subsistence  depended  on 
his  labor.  "As  the  Almighty  has  delivered  me," 
said  he,  "  from  that  horrid  death,  surely  He  is  able  to 
save  my  arm  also."  Astonishing  to  relate,  his  wounds 
are  healed,  and  there  is  now  hope  of  his  ultimate  re- 
covery. 


ANSWER  TO  PRAYER. 

"  I  WELL  remember,"  said  the  son  of  a  Christian 
missionary,  "  hearing  my  mother  speak  in  touching 
terms  of  the  narrow  escapes  my  father  had  during  our 
sojourn  in  Jamaica.  He  endured  five  attacks  of  yel- 
low fever,  and  on  one  occasion  suffered  so  much  that 
the  medical  attendant  gave  up  all  hopes  of  his  recov- 
ery. For  some  time  he  lingered  in  a  state  of  insensi- 
bility hardly  to  be  described.  My  mother  watched 
and  wept ;  friends  did  the  same  ;  the  faithful  Chris- 
tian colored  people  also  wept  as  they  saw  life  ebbing 
away.  Death  seemed  just  about  to  seize  his  prey. 


ANSWER    TO    PRAYER.  13 

"  Prayer-meetings  were  held,  and  at  last  some  hun- 
dreds of  negroes  were  assembled,  earnestly  beseeching 
Almighty  God  with  tears  to  spare  the  life  of  their  be- 
loved missionary.  Often  had  he  stood  up  before 
judges  in  their  defence.  Often  had  he  been  cast  into 
prison  for  protecting  them  from  their  tyrannical  op- 
pressors ;  and  now,  with  a  warmth  of  affection  and 
intensity  of  feeling  unknown  amongst  Christians  in 
England,  they  cried  mightily  to  God.  Hour  after  hour 
passed  by  ;  messengers  were  passing  from  the  chapel 
to  the  mission-house  to  obtain  tidings  of  the  sick 
man.  At  length,  when  his  spirit  appeared  about  to 
depart  and  to  leave  all  earthly  scenes,  the  pious  ne- 
groes agreed  to  unite  silently  in  one  heartfelt  peti- 
tion to  Him  '  in  whose  hand  our  breath  is ; '  and  be- 
lieving that  '  man  doth  not  live  by  bread  only,  but  by 
every  word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Lord,'  they  thus  silently,  unitedly  prayed.  The  mul- 
titude joined  in  one  petition,  ascending  from  their  in- 
most souls ;  and  at  that  very  hour  the  shadow  of  death 
was  removed  at  the  rebuke  of  the  Lord  ! 

"  A  change  took  place,  signs  of  health  appeared,  and 
he  for  whom  so  many  supplicants  prayed  was  raised 
up  from  his  bed  of  languishing,  and  that  chapel  did 
indeed  become  filled  with  songs  of  joy,  praise,  and 
thanksgiving.  '  He  lives  !  he  lives  !  '  was  the  joyful 
exclamation  that  ran  from  one  to  another  through 
that  con mre cation." 


14    FALLACIES  RESPECTING  THE  RACE  OF  HAM. 


FALLACIES    RESPECTING    THE    RACE    OF 
HAM. 

IT  is  thought  by  some  that  the  race  of  Ham,  one  of 
the  sons  of  Noah,  had  a  curse  pronounced  upon  it  at 
the  beginning,  whereby  through  all  time  this  particu- 
lar branch  of  the  human  family  was  to  be  kept  in  an 
inferior  and  servile  condition.  This  is  not  correct. 
No  curse  stands  recorded  in  the  Bible  against  the 
race  of  Ham.  The  curse  in  question  was  pronounced 
upon  Canaan,  one  of  the  four  sons  of  Ham,  whose 
descendants  settled  in  the  hill  country,  called  after 
his  name,  along  the  east  end  of  the  Mediterranean 
Sea.  There  they  dwelt  for  several  centuries,  and 
built  up  a  corrupt  and  idolatrous  nation,  until  they 
were-  dispossessed  of  their  inheritance  by  the  invading 
hosts  of  the  Jews.  By  this  invasion  vast  numbers 
of  this  Canaanitish  race  perished,  and  those  who  sur- 
vived were  brought  into  an  abject,  dependant,  and 
servile  condition. 

The  perversion  of  the  passage  is  the  more  note- 
worthy from  the  fact,  that  while  Ham  was  the 
offender,  on  account  of  whose  conduct  the  curse  was 
pronounced — so  that  the  reader  is  naturally  looking 
for  some  manifestation  towards  him  personally — his 
name  does  not  appear.  The  curse,  though  three  times 
repeated,  falls  steadily  upon  Canaan,  one  of  the  four 
sons.  When  the  three  sons  of  Noah  came  forth  with 
their  father  out  of  the  ark,  the  historian  simplv  savs, 


FALLACIES  RESPECTING  THE  RACE  OF  HAM.   15 

"  And  Ham  is  the  father  of  Canaan."  True,  so  he 
was,  and  was  also  the  father  of  Misraim,  and  Gush, 
and  Phut.  Shern,  too,  was  the  father  of  five  sons,  and 
Japheth  of  seven ;  but  nothing  is  said  at  that  time 
about  all  these,  only,  "  Ham  is  the  father  of  Canaan." 
And  so  also  when  Ham's  irreverent  wickedness  is 
mentioned,  it  is  "  Ham  the  father  of  Canaan." 

What  is  perhaps  still  more  noticeable,  when  the 
curse  is  passed,  and  the  historian  in  the  next  chapter 
takes  up  the  genealogy  of  the  race  after  the  flood,  and 
shows  us  the  first  founders  of  kingdoms  aiM  nations, 
the  only  instance  in  all  that  long  list,  when  he  stops 
to  give  us  the  boundaries  of  any  people,  is  in  this  case 
of  Canaan.  It  seems  as  if  God  took  especial  pains  to 
set  the  people  who  were  to  be  cursed,  apart  from  the 
rest,  that  there  need  be  no  doubt  who  they  were,  and 
where  they  lived. 

But  if  we  take  the  race  of  Ham  generally,  we  shall 
find  that  for  two  thousand  years  after  the  flood  it 
continued  by  far  the  most  noticeable  and  conspicuous 
of  the  three  branches.  For  some  reason  the  early 
developments  of  civilization  were  almost  entirely  in 
this  race.  Egypt  and  Assyria,  by  far  the  grandest 
empires  of  antiquity,  were  both  of  this  Hametic  order. 
Misraim,  the  son  of  Ham,  is  the  reputed  father  of  the 
one,  and  Nimrod,  the  grandson,  of  the  other.  So 
obvious  was  this  fact,  at  least  as  respects  Egypt,  that 
it  is  familiarly  called  in  the  Scriptures  "  the  land  of 
Ham."  "  Israel  also  came  into  Egypt,  and  Jacob 
sojourned  in  the  land  of  Ham."  And  again,  "  He 


16  OLD    DINAH. 

sent  Moses  His  sefvant,  and  Aaron  whom  He  had 
chosen.  They  showed  His  signs  among  them,  and 
wonders  in  the  land  of  Ham." 


OLD  DINAH. 

DINAH  was  a  slave.  Her  mistress  was  an  Indian 
woman,  into  whose  dark  mind  not  a  single  ray  of  gos- 
pel light  had  ever  penetrated.  She  lived  among  a 
small  tribe  on  the  borders  of  Tennessee,  and  although 
at  the  age  of  forty,  or  a  little  over,  she  was  called  Old 
Dinah.  The  Indian  mistress  and  all  her  servants  had 
been  baptized  by  a  Roman  priest ;  but  why,  or  where- 
fore, none  of  them  knew.  Dinah  said,  in  relating  the 
circumstance,  "  I  allers  thought  the  white  folks  had 
something  to  tell  that  we  did  not  know  about,  and  I 
used  to  think  what  could  it  be.  When  the  missiona- 
ries come  here  with  the  Bible,  then  I  know  what  it  is." 

Her  veneration  for  the  "  Good  Book,"  as  she  always 
called  it,  was  remarkable.  Getting  on  a  stool  in  her 
little  cabin  one  day,  I  noticed  on  a  shelf,  far  above 
the  reach  of  her  little  ones,  a  pile  of  torn,  dingy  bits 
of  paper.  I  said,  "  What  have  you  here,  Dinah  ?  " 

"  Oh,  missus,  don't  mind  them  now.  I  picks  'em 
up  when  I  come  from  the  meeting.  I  spose  the 
children  throws  'em  out  of  the  school-house,  but  I 
thinks  it  may  be  they  are  pieces  of  the  Good  Book, 
and  when  I  learns  to  read  I  can  find  'em  out." 


OLD    DINAH.  17 

Dinah  did  learn  to  read.  She  had  a  family  to  pro- 
vide for,  and  Saturday  was  the  only  day  in  the  week 
allotted  to  her  in  which  to  look  after  her  little  patch 
of  corn  and  potatoes,  cook  their  food,  and  prepare  her 
children  for  the  Sabbath.  The  morning  she  gave  to 
her  farming  in  summer,  then  the  washing  and  mend- 
ing, and  at-  night  after  the  children  were  washed  and 
stowed  away  for  sleep,  she  would  take  the  youngest  on 
her  back,  and,  tired  as  she  often  was,  trudgetaway  two 
miles  to  the  mission  station ;  and  favored  indeed  was 
the  teacher  who  could  get  rid  of  the  earnest  appeal, 
"  Let  me  learn  just  a  little  more,"  before  the  morning 
dawned.  Every  Sabbath  morning  a  little  time  was 
spent  in  imparting  to  her  Daniel  the  lesson  of  the 
previous  evening — his  master  living  in  a  village  some 
miles  distant,  so  that  he  could  not  secure  any  other 
instruction ;  but  Daniel  soon  outran  his  teacher,  and 
having  a  warm  Christian  heart,  learned  to  expound 
as  well  as  read  the  Good  Book,  much  to  the  edifi- 
cation of  his  colored  friends.  This  was  also  an  unfail- 
ing source  of  comfort  and  grateful  recollection  to 
Dinah.  Once  when  listening  to  his  fervent  appeals, 
she  said  to  me,  while  the  big  tears  chased  each  other 
joyously  down  her  cheeks,  "  Oh,  missus,  look  at  Dan- 
iel !  I  taught  that  man  his  a,-b,  c,  and  now  he  knows 
so  much,  and  I  can  only  pick  out  a  little  of  the  Good 
Book  yet." 

In  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  she  took  great  de- 
light, and  never  but  once,  during  our  nine  or  ten 
months  among  that  people,  do  I  remember  her  being 


18  NO-ACCOUNT   JOHNNY. 

absent  from  our  meetings  on  the  Sabbath.  It  was 
in  the  female  prayer-meeting  that  Dinah  was  invalu- 
able. Here  all  her  tenderness  of  conscience,  her  de- 
sire for  instruction,  her  delicacy  and  tact  in  eliciting 
it,  not  only  for  herself  but  for  the  benefit  of  others 
whose  spiritual  wants  she  had  made  her  study,  and 
above  all,  her  meek  and  earnest  supplications,  render- 
ed her  a  helper  never  to  be  forgotten,  and  I  loved  her 
for  the  ifcaage  of  my  Master  shining  in  her  face.  ^ 


"NO-ACCOUNT  JOHNNY." 

BY  M.    E.    SANGSTER. 

"  No- ACCOUNT  JOHNNY  "  had  had  a  hard  time  all 
his  life.  He  was  a  poor  boy,  so  homely,  and  dirty,  and 
ragged,  so  nearly  idiotic,  that  few  people  would  look 
at  him  twice.  He  lived  with  a  French  dyer,  who  had 
taught  him  how  to  stir  the  vats  at  a  certain  time  every 
day,  and  who  gave  him  in  return  enough  corn-bread 
and  bacon  to  keep  him  alive.  A  damp,  ill-smelling 
cellar  was  the  place  where  he  spent  his  days,  and  his 
nights  were  passed  in  an  equally  repulsive  attic.  To 
dodge  a  blow,  to  tell  a  lie,  to  eat,  to  sleep,  to  be  glad 
in  a  vague  sort  of  way  when  the  sun  shone  on  him 
warmly,  these  were  all  the  accomplishments  of  poor 
"No- Account  Johnny"  Long. 

Christmas,   with  its   green   boughs   and   its   gifts, 


NO-ACCOUNT   JOHNNY.  19 

went  by,  and  brought  no  gift  to  him.  He  did  wish, 
as  he  heard  the  other  boys  tooting  away  on  their  tin 
horns,  that  he  had  one  ;  but  as  he  could  not  get  one  by 
wishing,  he  contented  himself  with  turning  somer- 
saults on  the  pavement.  By  an  unfortunate  miscal- 
culation, he  lay  bruised  and  unconscious  at  the  foot  of 
the  cellar-steps. 

Aunt  Lizzie,  the  washerwoman,  at  the  end  of  the 
court,  took  him  home  to  her  poor  little  house,  and 
took  care  of  him  till  he  was  well  again,  for  in  the  fall 
he  had  broken  his  arm.  Her  children  went  to  Sun- 
day-school, and  one  of  them  brought  his  teacher  to 
see  Johnny. 

"  "Well,  my  poor  little  fellow,"  said  the  gentleman, 
looking  with  pity  on  the  thin  face,  clean  now,  through 
Aunt  Lizzie's  care,  "  I  see  you  are  sick  ;  what's  your 
name  ?  " 

"  No- Account  Johnny  !  " 

"Johnny!  well,  Johnny,  do  you  know  that  Jesus 
loves  you  ?  " 

'•Never  hearn  tell  of  the  Mister,  I'm  no  account. 
Reckon  He  don't  know  me  !  Missis  says  I'm  no  ac- 
count nohow !  " 

"  But  that  is  a  mistake,  my  boy.  You  are  of  great 
account.  You  have  a  soul  that  can  never  die.  Did 
you  never  know  that  ?  " 

"  No,"  shaking  his  head  ;  "  I  don't  un'erstand, 
Mister." 

"  Was  anybody  ever  good  to  you,  Johnny  ?  " 

"  Xobody  but  Aunt  Liz.     Aunt  Liz  been  good." 


20  NO-ACCOUNT    JOHNNY. 

<f  Well,  Jesus'  is  better  than  Aunt  Liz.  Jesus  is 
God.  He  died  for  you  !  He  lives  up  there  among 
the  stars  !  He  loves  you,  poor  No-Account  Johnny. 
Think  of  that." 

The  teacher  went  away.  At  the  door  old  Auut 
Lizzie  thanked  him  for  coming,  but  said  : 

"  It's  of  no  use,  sir,  to  teach  that  boy.  He  a'nt 
right  here,"  tapping  her  forehead. 

"  Ah  !  Aunt  Lizzie,  our  blessed  Jesus  can  make  him 
understand,"  said  Mr.  Allen,  as  he  went  away. 

After  a  few  weeks  Johnny  was  able  to  go  back  to 
the  dyeing  establishment.  The  first  Sabbath  after, 
however,  he  lost  his  place,  for  he  refused  to  work,  and 
astonished  his  master  by  saying  that  he  was  going  to 
Sunday-school.  Thither  he  went,  and  walking  up  to 
Mr.  Allen  said : 

"  Here  I  am  !  Tell  me  more  'bout  Jesus  ;  I've 
found  out  a  heap  since  you  told  me  'bout  Him,  and 
I'm  going  to  be  Jesus  Christ's  Johnny  now.  No- Ac- 
count Johnny's  gone  off  altogether." 

Nobody  could  tell  how  it  happened,  but  that  magic 
woi'd,  "  Jesus,"  had  done  wonders  for  the  little 
heathen.  "  He  loves  me,"  he  had  said  to  himself 
again  and  again,  and  then  he  had  listened,  with  that 
unlocked  heart,  to  every  word  he  heard  about  Jesus, 
and  had  learned  a  great  deal.  "  No- Account  Johnny  " 
became  one  of  the  best  scholars  in  the  little  mission- 
school. 


ZACHARY    AND    THE    BOY.  21 


ZACHARY  AND  THE  BOY, 

ZACHARY  was  an  Indian  of  the  Mohegan  tribe,  and 
belonged  to  the  royal  family  of  his  people.  He  was 
one  of  the  best  of  hunters,  never  returning  empty- 
handed  from  the  chase.  But  he  was  a  poor,  miser- 
able drunkard.  He  had  learned  from  the  white  man 
how  to  drink  "  fire-water,"  and  had  become  so  fond 
of  it  that  he  was  drunk  nearly  all  the  time  when  he 
was  not  hunting.  When  he  had  reached  the  age  of 
fifty  years,  several  of  his  superiors  in  the  tribe  died, 
leaving  only  one  person  between  him  and  the  position 
of  chief. 

One  day  Zachary  was  returning  from  hunting,  and 
while  on  his  way  began  to  think  of  his  past  life  and 
of  his  future  prospects.  "  What  a  fool  I  have  been," 
said  he  to  himself,  "  having  lived  so  long  to  act  so 
foolishly.  How  can  such  a  drunken  wretch  as  I  ever 
hope  to  be  the  chief  of  my  tribe  ?  What  will  my 
people  think  and  say  of  me  ?  I  am  not  worthy  to  fill 
the  place  of  the  great  Uncas.  I  will  drink  no  more  !  " 

When  he  reached  his  wigwam,  he  told  his  wife  and 
friends  that  he  would  never,  as  long  as  he  lived,  taste 
any  drink  but  water.  And  he  kept  this  resolution 
to  the  day  of  his  death. 

!Many  of  the  whites  who  heard  this  story  could  not 
believe  it.  They  said  Zachary  had  been  so  long  in 
the  habit  of  drinking  that  he  could  not  live  without 
it,  and  they  had  no  doubt  that  he  often  took  a  glass 


22  ZACHARY    AND    THE    BOY. 

slyly  when  no  one  was  looking  on.  Among  these 
was  a  young  man,  the  son  of  the  governor  of  one  of 
the  New  England  colonies  ;  for  this  story  I  am  tell- 
ing you  is  about  matters  which  took  place  many  years 
ago,  before  America  was  a  .separate  nation,  and  when 
what  are  now  States  were  called  colonies,  and  gov- 
erned by  rulers  sent  over  from  England. 

Zachary  had  by  this  time  become  the  chief  in  his 
tribe,  and  the  governor  invited  him  one  day  to  dine 
with  him.  While  they  were  seated  at  the  table  the 
governor's  son  thought  he  would  try  the  temperance 
principles  of  the  old  chief,  and  offering  him  a  glass 
of  beer,  said  :  "  Zachary,  this  beer  is  excellent,  will 
you  taste  it  ?  " 

The  old  man  dropped  his  knife  and  fork,  and  lean- 
ing over  the  table,  looked  with  a  sharp  eye  upon  the 
youth,  and  said  :  "  John,  you  do  not  know  what  you 
are  doing !  Boy,  you  are  serving  the  devil !  Do 
you  want  to  make  me  what  I  once  was,  a  poor,  mis- 
erable man,  unfit  to  govern  my  tribe?  John,  the 
acorn  grows  into  an  oak ;  the  cub  becomes  a  bear ; 
the  brook  swells  into  a  river ;  and  a  single  spark  of 
fire  will  spread  through  a  whole  forest.  So  one  drop 
of  your  beer  would  make  me  want  more,  and  then  I 
should  want  something  stronger,  and  I  would  drink 
rum  until  I  became  as  wretched  as  I  once  was.  Do 
you  not  know  that  I  am  an  Indian  ?  I  tell  you  that 
I  am ;  and  that  if  I  begin  to  drink  beer  I  cannot  stop 
without  tasting  rum.  JTolm,  while  you  live,  never 
again  tempt  a  man  to  break  a  good  resolution" 


TRUST    IN    PROVIDENCE.  23 

The  young  man  knew  not  what  to  say.  He  felt 
that  he  had  done  a  mean  thing  in  trying  to  get  old 
Zachary  to  break  his  pledge.  His  parents  were 
deeply  affected  at  the  scene,  and  often  reminded  their 
son  of  it  afterward,  charging  him  never  to  forget  it ; 
and  he  did  not.  For  years  after  the  Indian  chief 
died,  John  made  frequent  visits  to  his  grave,  repeat- 
ing to  himself  the  valuable  lesson"  he  had  learned, 
never  to  tempt  a  man  to  break  a  good  resolution. 

Men,  and  children  too,  who  are  trying  to  become 
better,  ought  to  be  helped,  not  hindered.  Kind 
words  and  kind  deeds  will  greatly  encourage  them ; 
but  to  frown  upon  them,  to  sneer  at  them,  or  to  make 
sport  of  them,  is  often  a  sure  way  of  making  them  as 
bad  as  ever. —  TJie  Christian. 


TRUST  IN  PROVIDENCE. 

ON  a  bridge  I  was  standing  one  morning, 
And  watching  the  current  roll  by, 

When  suddenly  into  the  water 
There  fell  an  unfortunate  fly. 

The  fishes  that  swam  to  the  surface, 
Were  looking  for  something  to  eat, 

And  I  thought  that  the  hapless  young  insect 
Would  surely  afford  them  a  treat. 

"  Poor  thing,"  I  exclaimed  with  compassion, 
"Thy  trials  and  dangers  abound, 

For  if  thou  escap'st  being  eaten, 

Thou  canst  not  escape  being  drowned." 


24  THE    WIFE. 

No  sooner  'the  sentence  was  spoken, 
Than  lo,  like  an  angel  of  love, 

I  saw,  to  the  waters  beneath  me, 
A  leaflet  descend  from  above. 

It  glided  serene  on  the  streamlet, 
'Twas  an  ark  to  the  poor  little  fly ; 

Which,  soon  to  the  land  reascending, 
Spread  its  wings  to  the  breezes  to  dry. 

Oh,  sweet  was  the  truth  that  was  whispered, 
That  mortals  should  never  despair, 

For  He  that  takes  care  of  an  insect, 
Much  more  for  His  children  will  care. 

And  though,  to  our  short-sighted  vision, 
No  way  of  escape  may  appear, 

Let  us  trust,  for  when  least  we  expect  it, 
The  help  of  our  Father  is  near. 


THE  WIFE. 

DR.  LIVINGSTONE,  in  his  travels  in  Africa,  came 
one  night  to  the  house  of  Mozinkwa,  a  friendly  man, 
with  a  pleasant-looking  wife  and  fine  family  of  chil- 
dren, very  "  black,  but  comely."  Perhaps  their  hos- 
pitable, kind  ways  made  them  look  handsome  to  tha 
lonely  missionary,  so  far  from  home  and  friends.  He 
was  catight  in  a  heavy  rain,  but  he  and  his  compan- 
ions received  a  warm  welcome  and  plenty  of  faod 
from  this  friendly  couple,  till  they  were  able  to  pro- 
ceed. 


THE    WIFE.  25 

They  had  a  large  garden,  cultivated  by  the  wife, 
with  yams,  sweet  potatoes,  and  other  vegetables  grow- 
ing in  it,  and  ail  surrounded  by  a  fine  hedge  of  the 
banian  tree.  Under  some  larger  trees,  in  the  middle 
of  the  yard,  stood  the  huts  in  which  they  lived,  and 
no  doubt  the  fine-looking  little  children  played  many 
happy  days  under  their  mother's  care  in  the  shade. 

\\  hen  Dr.  Livingstone  took  his  leave  of  this  inter- 
esting family,  the  wife  asked  him  to  bring  her  some 
cloth  from  the  white  man's  countiy.  When  he  re- 
turned, after  a  long  journey,  he  was  surprised  to  find 
the  pleasant  home  silent  and  deserted ;  the  garden 
given  up  to  wild  weeds,  and  the  huts  in  ruins,  and 
no  sign  of  life  in  the  spot  where  he  last  saw  a  large 
family  of  frolicking  children.  Poor  JHozinkwa 's  wife 
was  dead  and  in  her  grave  under  the  large  trees,  while 
the  huts,  garden,  and  hedge,  of  which  she  had  been 
so  proud,  were  fast  going  to  ruin  ;  for,  according  to 
the  custom  of  that  heathen  country,  a  man  can  never 
continue  to  live  where  a  favorite  \vife  has  died.  lie  is 
so  lonely  arid  sorrowful  when  he  thinks  of  the  happy 
times  they  have  had  together,  that  he  cannot  stay 
where  everything  reminds  him  of  his  loss.  If  ever 
he  visits  the  spot  again,  it  is  to  pray  to  his  dead  wife 
and  make  some  offering.  So  for  want  of  a  knowledge 
of  the  Friend  of  Sinners,  who  binds  up  the  wounded 
heart,  they  must  move  from  place  to  place,  and  can 
never  have  any  settled  villages  in  that  part  of  the 
country. 

How  different  would  the  scene  have  been  on  Dr. 


26      A  HOTTENTOT'S  LOVE  FOR  HER  TEACHERS. 

Livingstone's  return,  if  poor  Mozinkwa  and  his  wife 
had  been  Christians.  Then  he  might  have  been 
happy  even  in  his  loneliness,  for  he  would  have 
prayed  to  God  for  strength  to  bear  his  loss,  and  read 
the  Bible,  and  taught  his  children  to  live  so  as  to 
meet  their  mother  in  heaven.  Instead  of  flying  from 
place  to  place  to  forget  their  troubles,  those  poor  Afri- 
cans might  have  permanently  happy  homes,  if  they 
knew  the  peace  the  gospel  gives. 


A   HOTTENTOTS    LOYE    FOR  HER  TEACH- 
ERS, AND  THE  POWER  OF  PRAYER. 

DURING  the  persecution  to  which  the  Moravian 
missionaries  in  South  Africa  were  exposed  some 
years  ago,  a  woman,  living  about  au  hour's  walk  from 
the  mission  house,  had  a  daughter  who  attended  the 
school,  and  had  become  a  Christian.  One  day  this 
girl  returned  home  in  terror,  bringing  her  little 
sister.  Her  mother  inquired  the  reason;  she  re- 
plied :  "  We  and  our  teachers  are  all  to  be  shot  dead, 
and  I  have  brought  my  sister  back,  that  you  may  at 
least  keep  one  child ;  but  as  for  me,  I  will  return  to 
my  teachers  and  suffer  with  them." 

"  What !  "  said  her  mother,  "  do  you  mean  to  go 
and  be  killed?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  poor  girl ;  "  for  it  is  written  in 
the  Bible,  '  Whoever  will  lose  his  life  for  my  sake, 
shall  find  it.'  " 


THE    LIVING    SACRIFICE.  27 

Her  mother  was  much  affected,  and  taking  up  her 
younger  daughter,  said,  "My  child,  where  you  are 
there  will  I  be." 

The  party  then  set  off  for  Bavian's  Kloof,  weeping 
all  the  way.  When  they  had  arrived  at  the  top  of 
the  hill  which  commanded  a  view  of  the  settlement, 
they  saw  a  number  of  the  natives  approaching  it,  as 
if  to  attack  the  missionaries.  The  Hottentot  woman 
and  her  children  fell  upon  their  knees  and  cried  fer- 
vently to  God,  beseeching  Him  to  prevent  the  enemy 
from  hurting  their  beloved  teachers.  When  they 
again  looked  up,  they  saw  the  men  going  towards  an- 
other plantation,  at  some  distance  from  the  mission. 
The  woman  and  children  went  to  Bavian's  Kloof,  and 
found  the  Hottentots  there  all  in  tears,  some  kneel- 
ing, some  prostrate  on  their  faces,  crying  to  God,  and 
their  most  urgent  prayers  seemed  to  be,  "  Preserve 
the  teachers  whom  Thou  hast  sent  us." 


THE   LIVING   SACRIFICE. 

AMID  the  forest's  silent  shades 

Where  nature  reigns  supreme, 
A  little  baud  had  met  to  hear 

The  glorious  gospel  theme. 

I  gazed  upon  the  dusky  forms 

Of  Indians  gathered  there, 
And  thought  how  once  the  red  man  owned 

Those  lands  so  rich  and  fair. 


28  THE    LIVING    SACRIFICE. 

But  now  he  roams  throughout  the  plains 
"Where  once  his  fathers  dwelt, 

A  poor  heart-stricken  wanderer, 
For  him  none  pity  felt. 

But  hark  !  the  preacher's  solemn  tone 
My  wand'ring  thoughts  recall ; 

He  preaches  Jesus  crucified, 
Jesus  who  died  for  alL 

He  tells,  with  simple  eloquence, 
How  the  Good  Shepherd  came 

To  save  the  erring  sheep  He  loved, 
From  ruin  and  from  shame. 

He  speaks  of  sad  Gethsemane, 

Then  tells  the  eager  crowd,  ^ 

How  Jesus  Christ  was  crucified 
By  cruel  men  and  proud. 

And  at  his  words  like  forest  trees 
Moved  by  the  rushing  blast, 

O'er  the  proud  hearts  of  those  dark  men 
A  wondrous  change  then  passed. 

They  wept — nature's  lone  children  wept 
At  that  sweet  tale  of  love — 

To  think  that  Jesus  died  that  they 
Might  dwell  with  Him  above. 

And  one  of  that  wild  forest's  sons, 

Of  tall  and  noble  frame. 
While  tears  bedewed  his  manly  cheek, 

Towards  the  preacher  came. 


THE   LIVING   SACRIFICE.  29 

"  What  ?  did  the  blessed  Saviour  die 

And  shed  His  blood  for  me  ? 
Was  it  for  my  sins  Jesus  wept 

In  dark  Gethseinane  ? 

' '  What  can  poor  Indian  give  to  Thee, 

Jesus,  for  love  like  thine  ? 
The  lands  my  fathers  once  possessed 

Are  now  no  longer  mine  ; 

"Our  hunting-grounds  are  all  upturned 

By  the  proud  white  man's  plough, 
My  rifle  and  my  dog,  alas  ! 

Are  my  sole  riches  now. 

"  Yet  these  I  fain  would  give  to  Him 

On  Calvary's  cross  who  bled  ; 
Will  Christ  accept  so  mean  a  gift  ?  " — 

The  stranger  shook  his  head. 

The  Indian  chief  a  moment  paused, 

And  downward  cast  his  eyes  : 
Then  suddenly  from  round  his  neck 

His  blanket  he  unties. 

"  This,  with  my  rifle  and  my  dog, 

Are  all  I  have  to  give ; 
Yet  these  to  Jesus  I  would  bring ; 

He  died  that  I  might  live  ! 

"  Stranger  !   will  Jesus  Christ  receive 

These  tokens  of  -my  love  ?  " 
The  preacher  answered,  "  Gifts  like  these 

Please  not  the  God  above." 


30  SAAT. 

The  humble  child  of  ignorance 

His  head  in  sorrow  bent ; 
Absorbing  thought  unto  his  brow 

Its  saddening  influence  lent. 

He  raised  his  head,  a  gleam  of  hope 
O'er  his  dark  features  passed, 

As  when  on  some  deep  streamlet's  breast 
The  sun's  bright  beams  are  cast. 

His  eyes  were  filled  with  glistening  tears, 

And  earnest  was  his  tone  ; 
' '  Here  is  poor  Indian  !  Jesus,  take, 

And  make  him  all  thine  own. " 

A  thrill  of  joy  passed  through  the  crowd, 
'     To  see  how  grace  divine 
Could  cause  the  heart  of  th'  Indian  chief 
With  heav'nly  love  to  shine  ; — 

Such  love  as  made  him  yield  with  joy 

Body  and  soul  to  Him 
Whose  watchful  care  can  never  fail, 

Whose  love  can  ne'er  grow  dim. 


SAAT. 

SIR  SAMUEL  BAKER  and  his  wife  made  a  dangerous 
and  toilsome  journey  into  the  burning  regions  of 
Central  Africa.  From  a  book  of  travel  and  adventure 
published  by  him  we  glean  such  portions  as  relate  to 
their  faithful  servant,  Saat,  the  African  boy. 


SAAT.  31 

When  a  child  of  six  years  old,  minding  his  father's 
goats  in  the  desert,  Saat  was  captured  by  a  hostile 
Arab  tribe,  and  thrust  into  a  sack,  which  was  placed 
011  a  camel's  back,  and  thus  he  was  carried  hundreds 
of  miles  from  home.  Every  time  that  the  poor  child 
screamed  or  offered  resistance  he  was  threatened  that 
he  would  be  killed  by  his  cruel  captors.  Saat  shortly 
found  himself  in  the  hands  of  a  slave-dealer,  by 
whom  he  was  offered  to  the  Egyptian  government  as 
a  drummer-boy,  but  being  too  small  was  rejected. 
A  fellow  slave  told  little  Saat  of  an  Austrian  mission- 
house  in  the  very  town  in  which  they  were,  that 
would  protect  and  care  for  him  if  he  could  escape  to 
it.  Thither  the  little  boy  fled,  and  found  shelter  for 
some  time,  gaining  such  instruction  as  his  mind  could 
receive,  together  with  other  little  waifs  and  strays, 
which  the  missionaries  had  received  at  different  times. 
Sickness  reduced  the  number  of  the  good  men  who 
had  cared  for  and  taught  the  children,  and  they  found 
it  necessary  to  turn  adrift  the  friendless  little  ones, 
who  apparently  without  result  had  been  watched  and 
tended,  and  little  Saat,  "  the  one  grain  of  gold,"  was 
a  second  time  without  a  home.  But  God  guided  him 
on  a  good  way. 

One  evening  Sir  Samuel  Baker  and  his  wife  were 
sitting  in  their  courtyard  on  the  Nile,  when  a  starved, 
miserable  boy  crept  up  to  them,  and  crouching  in  the 
dust,  begged  to  be  allowed  to  live  with  them  and  be  . 
their  boy.  They  did  not  take  him  then,  and  he  came 
again  the  next  day,  praying  them  to  allow  him  to 


'  32  SAAT. 

serve  them.  They  endeavored  to  discourage  him  by 
telling  of  the  long  and  dangerous  journey  they  were 
about  to  take.  Saat  was  firm ;  he  would  go  with 
them  to  the  end  of  the  world.  Touched  by  the  boy's 
story  they  went  to  the  mission  to  inquire  the  truth 
of  it.  There  an  excellent  character  was  given  of 
him,  with  the  remark  that  he  must  have  been  turned 
out  by  mistake.  This  determined  the  traveller  to 
adopt  him.  A  good  washing  and  a  new  suit  of 
clothes  made  Saat  quite  respectable,  and  being  well- 
disposed  he  soon  made  himself  useful.  Mrs.  Baker 
taught  him  to  sew,  and  Sir  Samuel  gave  him  lessons 
in  shooting.  When  his  day's  work  was  done,  he  was 
allowed  to  sit  by  his  mistress  while  she  told  him 
stories  from  the  Bible  and  from  the  history  of  Europe. 
There  was  plenty  of  time  for  such  talk,  the  long, 
weary  journey  in  the  Nile  boat,  which  they  had  just 
commenced,  enabling  that  gentle  lady  to  instruct  the 
poor  ignorant  boy  thrown  on  her  hands.  Their  native 
servants  robbed,  betrayed,  and  deserted  the  travellers 
at  every  turn,  but  among  them  little  Saat  shone  as 
a  bright  star,  honest,  truthful,  and  devoted  to  those 
who  had  rescued  him  from  starvation,  and  he  daily 
won  their  love.  To  him  they  most  probably  owed 
their  lives,  as  he  detected  and  exposed  to  them  a 
plan  their  servants  had  agreed  on,  to  seize  their 
master's  arms  and  leave  him  in  the  desert,  or  murder 
him  and  his  wife  if  they  met  with  resistance. 

This  child  of  the  sun  seemed  to  have  all  the  best 
points  of  a  happy  English  boy;  he  delighted  in  active 


SAAT.  33 

sports  and  shooting  with  his  light  gun.  Through 
dangers  and  distresses  he  was  always  bright  and  cheer- 
ful. Saat  was  sometimes  in  mischief,  too,  and  he 
spoilt  two  watches  by  trying  to  examine  their  inside 
works.  He  was  very  fond  of  a  drum;  but  a  camel 
which  carried  it  rolled  over  and  spoilt  that  musical 
instrument ;  then  he  destroyed  a  tin  kettle  and  a  tin 
cup  by  drumming  on  them.  Neither  watch  nor  tin- 
ware could  be  replaced  when  shops  were  thousands 
of  miles  away.  Once,  when  he  was  not  well,  a  powder 
was  given  him  to  take,  and  he  asked  if  he  should  eat 
the  paper  it  was  in. 

Sir  Samuel  followed  his  plans  for  his  journey 
through  all  obstacles,  and  Saat's  name  is  never  men- 
tioned, except  in  praise.  He  endured  hunger  and 
thirst,  and  rejoiced  with  his  kind  protectors  in  the 
success  of  their  undertaking.  During  these  years  of 
travel,  sickness  and  death  had  visited  their  little 
band,  but  as  yet  the  boy  had  been  spared  ;  but  on  tho 
homeward  journey  his  time  came, — that  fearful  sick- 
ness, the  plague,  attacked  the  vessel  in  which  the 
party  journeyed:  first  one  was  smitten,  then  another, 
and  then  it  was  Saat.  Mrs.  Baker  herself  nursed 
the  sick  boy  with  tender  care,  but  he  lay  day  and 
night  in  delirium.  At  last  came  a  calm;  he  was 
gently  washed  and  dressed  in  clean  clothes,  and  laid 
to  rest.  .  He  slept ;  his  mistress  hoped  it  was  the 
sleep  of  recovery ;  but  a  kind  servant  presently 
covered  the  boy's  face  while  tears  ran  down  her 
cheeks.  Saat  was  dead.  The  boat  was  stopped,  and 


34  THE  PSALM  OF  THE  SLAVE. 

the  faithful  boy  was  sadly  buried  beneath  a  tree,  the 
wonderful  river  Nile  rolling  by  his  grave. 

Saat  was  converted  from  Paganism  to  Christianity, 
and  reached  his  home  and  rest  in  heaven. 


THE  PSALM   OF   THE   SLAVE. 

God  heard  it ;  and  fie  is  free. 

LotJD  he  sang  the  Psalm  of  David, 
He  a  negro  and  enslaved, 
Sang  of  Israel's  victory  ; 
Sang  of  Zion  bright  and  free. 

In  that  hour  when  night  is  calmest, 
Sang  he  from  the  Hebrew  Psalmist, 
In  a  voice  so  sweet  and  clear, 
That  I  could  not  choose  but  hear — 

Songs  of  triumph  and  ascription, 
Such  as  reached  the  swarth  Egyptian, 
When  upon  the  Red -Sea  coast 
Perished  Pharaoh  and  his  host. 

And  the  voice  of  his  devotion, 
Filled  my  soul  with  strange  emotion ; 
For  its  tones  by  turns  were  glad, 
Sweetly  solemn,  wildly  sad. 

Paul  and  Silas  in  their  prison, 
Sang  of  Christ,  the  Lord  arisen  ; 
And  an  earthquake's  arm  of  might 
Broke  their  dungeon-gates  at  night. 


THE    MISSIONARY    BOX.  35 

But,  alas  !  what  holy  angel 
Brings  the  slave  this  glad  evangel  ? 
And  what  earthquake's  arm  of  night 
Breaks  his  dungeon-gates  at  night  ?  r 

Longfdlow. 


THE   MISSIONARY  BOX. 

A  FEW  years  ago  two  young  Africans  went  to 
England  to  obtain  an  education,  and  then  return  to 
Africa  to  teach,  their  countrymen  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ.  One  of  them,  George  Nicol,  while  staying 
near  London,  walked  a  considerable  distance.  In 
his  walk  he  came  to  Hampstead  Heath,  from  which 
he  could  see  the  city  of  London  before  him.  The 
principal  buildings  attracted  his  attention.  A  laborer 
who  was  breaking  stones  on  the  other  side  of  the 
road,  kept  looking  at  him ;  no  doubt  it  seemed 
strange  to  him  to  see  a  colored  man  looking  at  the 
view  he  had  himself  seen  every  day  for  many  years 
past ;  and  in  his  eyes,  perhaps,  the  wonder  would  be 
increased  by  seeing  the  African  dressed  like  a  respect- 
able Englishman. 

"While  George  Nicol  stood  gazing  on  the  scene  the 
laborer  kept  peeping  at  him  from  time  to  time,  but 
never  thought  of  speaking.  Presently  George  Nicol 
turned  to  him,  and  asked  in  good  English,  what  a  cer- 
tain building  was  which  he  saw  in  the  distance.  The 
laborer  answered  civilly  that  it  was  St.  Paul's  Church  ; 
and  then  replied  to  several  other  questions,  till  he  had 


36  THE    MISSIONARY    BOX. 

pointed  out  the  chief  buildings  of  the  great  city,  which 
could  be  seen  from  the  hill  on  which  they  were  stand- 
ing. 

When  this  was  done,  after  a  short  pause  the  Afri- 
can said :  "  Well,  my  friend,  you  have  here  a  very 
large  and  magnificent  city ;  but,  after  all,  it  is  not  to 
be  compared  to  the  city  of  God,  the  heavenly  Jeru- 
salem, which  I  hope  you  and  I  will  both  see  one  day." 

If  the  honest  laborer  was  surprised  before,  his  as- 
tonishment was  much  greater  now. 

"  Why,"  said  he,  "  do  you  know  anything  about 
such  things  ?  " 

"  Yes,  thank  God,"  replied  the  African,  "  I  am 
happy  to  say  I  do.  It  was  not  always  so.  I  was 
once  in  darkness,  and  knew  nothing  of  the  true  God  ; 
but  good  missionaries  from  England  came,  and 
taught  me  about  Jesus  Christ ;  and  now  I  live  in  hope 
of  one  day  seeing  Him  in  that  beautiful  city,  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem,  where  I  shall  dwell  with  Him 
forever." 

By  this  time  the  good  Englishman  had  thrown 
down  the  hammer  with  which  he  had  been  breaking 
stones.  He  came  across  the  road,  and  grasping 
Nicol's  hand  exclaimed,  "  Why,  then,  you  are  one  of 
them  that  I  have  been  praying  for  these  twenty  years. 
I  never  put  a  penny  into  the  missionary  box  with- 
out saying,  '  God  bless  the  colored  man.'  " 

It  rejoiced  the  heart  of  the  good  African  not  a  little 
to  find  in  the  humble  stone-breaker  a  friend  who  had 
taken  such  a  deep  interest  in  the  people  of  Africa. 


HE  NEVER  TOLD  A  LIE DADDY  DAVY.      37 

And  if  his  pleasure  was  so  great,  the  laborer's  was 
not  less,  for  he  saw  in  George  Nicol  an  answer  to  his 
prayers,  and  a  sure  proof  that  his  missionary  money 
had  not  been  spent  in  vain.  He  felt  the  truth  of  the 
words,  "  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters,  for  thou  shalt 
find  it  after  many  days." 


HE  NEVER  TOLD  A  LIE. 

MUNGO  PARK,  in  the  account  of  his  African  travels, 
relates  that  a  negro  youth  was  killed  by  a  shot  from 
a  party  of  Moors.  His  mother  walked  before  the 
corpse,  as  it  was  carried  home,  frantic  with  grief,  clap- 
ping her  hands,  and  declaring  her  son's  good  quali- 
ties. "  He  never  told  a  lie,"  cried  the  bereaved 
mother  ;  "he  never  told  a  lie  ;  no,  never." 


DADDY  DAVY. 

ONE  winter  evening,  when  a  little  orphan  in  my 
seventh  year,  I  climbed  upon  my  grandfather's  knee, 
and  begged  that  he  would  "  tell  me  a  story."  The 
candles  were  not  yet  lighted  in  the  parlor,  but  the 
glowing  fire  sent  forth  its  red  blaze,  and  its  cheering 
heat  seemed  more  grateful  from  a  fall  of  snow,  which 
was  rapidly  collecting  in  piles  of  fleecy  whiteness  on 
the  lawn. 


230311 


38  DADDY    DAVY. 

I  had  taken  my  favorite  seat  on  the  evening  I  have 
mentioned,  just  as  a  poor  negro  with  scarcely  any 
covering  appeared  at  the  window,  and  supplicated 
charity.  His  dark  skin  was  deeply  contrasted  with 
the  unblemished  purity  of  the  falling  snow,  whilst  his 
trembling  limbs  seemed  hardly  able  to  support  his 
shivering  frame;  and  there  he  stood,  perishing  in  the 
land  of  boasted  hospitality  and  freedom  ! 

With  all  the  active  benevolence  which  my  grand- 
father possessed,  he  still  retained  the  usual  character- 
istics of  the  hardy  seaman.  He  discouraged  every- 
thing which  bore  the  smallest  resemblance  to  indolence. 
The  idle  vagrant  dared  not  approach  his  residence  ;  but 
he  prized  the  man  of  industrious  habits,  however 
lowly  his  station ;  and  his  influence  was  ever  extend- 
ed to  aid  the  destitute  and  to  right  the  injured. 

On  his  first  going  to  sea  he  had  been  cabin-boy  on 
board  a  Liverpool  ship ;  he  afterwards  lived  several 
years  in  the  island  of  Trinidad,  in  the  West  Indies, 
where  the  slaves  were  rigorously  treated.  He  there 
became  well  acquainted  with  the  colored  people,  and 
now  he  no  sooner  saw  the  dark  face  of  the  poor  per- 
ishing creature  at  his  window,  than  he  hastily  rang 
the  bell,  and  a  footman  entered. 

"  Robert,"  said  he,  "  go  and  bring  that  poor  fellow 
in  here.  * 

''  Poor  fellow,  did  you  say  ?  "  inquired  Robert. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  replied  my  grandfather,  "  yonder  man, 
fetch  him  here  to  me." 

The  servant  quitted  the  room,  and  it  was  not  with- 


DADDY    DAVY.  39 

out  some  feelings  of  fear,  as  well  as  hopes  of  amuse- 
ment that,  a  few  minutes  afterwards,  I  saw  the  poor 
African  stand  bowing  before  the  parlor  door.  The 
twilight  had  faded  away,  and  except  the  reflection 
from  the  snow,  night  had  thrown  its  sable  shadows 
on  the  scene  ;  but  as  the  bright  gleam  of  the  fire  shed 
its  red  hue  upon  the  features  of  the  negro,  and  flashed 
upon  his  rolling  eyes,  he  presented  rather  a  terrific 
appearance  to  my  young  mind. 

"  Come  in !  "  exclaimed  my  grandfather  in  a  shrill 
voice ;  but  the  poor  fellow  stood  hesitatingly  on  the 
border  of  the  carpet  till  the  command  was  repeated 
with  more  sternness  than  before,  and  then  the  trem- 
bling African  advanced  a  few  steps  towards  the  easy- 
chair  in  which  the  veteran  was  sitting. 

Never  shall  I  forget  the  abject  figure  which  the  poor 
creature  displayed.  He  was  a  tall,  large-boned  man, 
but  was  evidently  bent  down  xmder  the  pressure  of 
sickness  arid  of  want  rather  than  of  age.  A  pair  of 
old  canvas  trowsers  hung  loosely  on  his  legs,  but  his 
feet  were  quite  naked.  On  the  upper  part  of  his  body 
was  a  striped  flannel  shirt,  one  of  the  sleeves  of  which 
was  torn  away.  He  had  no  covering  for  his  head  ; 
and  the  snow  which  had  fallen  on  it  having  melted  in 
the  warmth  of  the  room,  large,  transparent  drops  of 
clear  water  hung  glistening  on  his  thick  woolly  hair. 

His  look  was  inclined  downwards,  as  if  fearful  of 
meeting  the  stern  gaze  of  my  grandfather,  who  scan- 
ned him  with  the  most  minute  attention,  not  un- 
mingled  with  agitation.  Every  joint  of  the  poor 


40  DADDY    DAVY. 

fellow's  limbs  shook  as  if  struck  with  ague,  and  the 
cold  seemed  to  have  contracted  his  sinews ;  for  he 
crouched  his  body  together,  as  if  to  shrink  from  the 
keen  blast.  Tears  were  trickling  down  his  cheek,  and 
his  spirit  seemed  bowed  to  the  earth  by  distress. 

"  Tell  me,"  said  my  grandfather,  "  what  brought 
you  to  England,  and  what  you  mean  by  strolling  about 
the  country  here  as  a  beggar  ?  I  may  order  you  to 
be  put  in  the  stocks." 

"  Ah,  massa,"  replied  the  negro,  "  buckra  never 
have  stocks  in  dis  country  ;  yet  he  die  if  massa  neber 
give  him  something  to  fill  hungry  stomach." 

While  he  was  speaking  my  grandfather  was  rest- 
less and  impatient.  He  removed  me  from  his  knee, 
and  looked  with  more  earnestness  at  the  poor  man, 
who  never  raised  his  head.  "  We  have  beggars 
enough  of  our  own  nation,"  said  my  grandfather. 

"  Massa  speak  true,"  replied  the  African,  meekly ; 
"  distress  live  everywhere ;  come  like  race-horse,  but 
go  away  softly,  softly." 

Again  my  grandfather  looked  sharply  at  the  features 
of  the  man  and  showed  signs  of  agitation  in  his  own. 
"  Softly,  softly,"  said  he,  "  that's  just  your  cant.  I 
I  know  the  whole  gang  of  you,  but  you  are  not  going 
to  deceive  me ;  now  wotildn't  you  sacrifice  me  and 
all  I  am  worth  for  a  bunch  of  plantains  ?  " 

"  Massa  have  eat  the  plantains,  den,"  said  the  man, 
"  and  yet  massa  think  hard  of  poor  negur  who  work  to 
make  them  grow.  God  Almighty  send  rain — God  Al- 
mighty send  sun — but  God  Almighty  send  negur  too." 


DADDY   DAVY.  41 

"Well,  well,"  said  my  grandfather,  softening  his 
voice,  "  God  is  no  respecter  of  colors,  and  we  must 
not  let  you  starve,  daddy ;  so,  Robert,  tell  the  cook 
to  get  some  warm  broth,  and  bid  her  bear  a  hand 
about  it." 

"  God  forever  bless  massa,"  exclaimed  the  poor 
man,  as  he  listened  to  the  order,  and  keenly  directed 
his  eye  towards  the  person  who  had  issued  it ;  but 
my  grandfather  had  turned  his  head  toward  me,  so  his 
face  was  not  seen  by  the  grateful  man. 

"  So  I  suppose  you  are  some  runaway  slave  ?  "  said 
my  grandfather,  harshly. 

"  No,  massa,"  rejoined  the  African,  "  no,  massa  ; 
never  run  away — I  free  man.  Good  buckra  give 
freedom  ;  but  then  I  lose  kind  massa,  and  " 

"Ay,  ay,"  replied  my  grandfather,  "but  what 
about  Plantation  Joseph,  in  Trinidad  ?  " 

(l  Ky  !  "  responded  the  man,  as  his  eyes  were  bent 
upon  his  questioner,  who  again  hid  his  face  ;  "  de 
buckra  knows  ebery  ting ;  him  like  the  angel  of  light 
to  know  the  secret  of  the  heart." 

"  Come  nearer  to  the  fire,  Daddy  Davy,"  said  my 
grandfather,  as  he  bent  down  to  stir  the  burning 
coals  with  the  poker. 

Never  shall  I  forget  the  look  of  the  African  ;  joy, 
wonder,  and  admiration  were  pictured  in  his  face,  as 
he  exclaimed,  while  advancing  forward — 

"  De  buckra  know  my  name  too  ! — how  dis  ?  " 

My  grandfather  having  kindled  a  bright  flame  that 
illuminated  the  whole  room,  turned  his  face  towards 


42  DADDY   DAVY. 

the  African ;  but  no  sooner  had  the  poor  fellow  caught 
sight  of  his  features  than,  throwing  himself  at  his 
feet,  he  clasped  the  old  sailor's  knees,  exclaiming, 
"  My  own  massa ! — what  for  you  give  Davy  him 
freedom  ?  and  now  do  poor  negur  die  for  want !  but  no, 
neber  see  de  day  to  go  dead,  now  me  find  my  massa." 

"  Willie,  my  boy,"  said  my  grandfather,  turning  to 
me,  "  fetch  my  pocket-handkerchief  off  the  sofa." 

I  immediately  obeyed,  but  I  used  the  handkerchief 
two  or  three  times  to  wipe  the  tears  from  my  eyes 
before  I  delivered  it  to  him. 

At  this  moment  Robert  opened  the  door,  and  said 
the  broth  was  ready,  but  stood  with  amazement  to 
see  the  half-naked  man  at  his  master's  feet. 

"  Go,  Davy,"  said  my  grandfather,  "  go  and  get 
some  food  ;  and,  Robert,  tell  the  cook  to  have  a  warm 
bath  ready,  and  the  housemaid  must  run  a  pan  of 
coals  over  the  little  bed  in  the  blue  room,  and  put 
some  extra  blankets  on.  You  can  sleep  without  a 
nightcap,  I  dare  say,  Davy.  There,  go  along,  Davy, 
go  along  ; "  and  the  gratified  negro  left  the  room  with 
unfeigned  ejaculations  of  "  Gor  A  mighty  for  eber  bless 
kind  massa ! " 

As  soon  as  the  door  was  closed,  and  I  was  once 
more  seated  on  my  grandfather's  knee,  he  commenced 
his  \isual  practice  of  holding  converse  with  himself. 
"  What  could  have  brought  him  here  ?  "  said  he.  "  I 
gave  him  his  freedom,  and  a  piece  of  land  to  cultivate. 
There  was  a  pretty  hut  upon  it,  too,  with  a  double 
row  of  cocoa-nut  trees  in  front,  and  a  garden  of  plan- 


DADDY   DAVY.  43 

tains  behind,  and  a  nice  plot  of  guinea-grass  for  a  cow, 
and  another  of  buckwheat — what  has  become  of  it 
all  I  wonder?  Bless  me,  how  time  flies!  it  seems 
but  the  other  day  that  I  saved  the  fellow  from  a 
couple  of  bullets,  and  he  repaid  the  debt  -by  rescuing 
my  Betsy — all,  poor  dear  !  She  was  your  mother, 
William,  and  he  snatched  her  from  a  dreadful  and 
terrific  fate.  How  these  things  crowd  upon  my  mind  ! 
The  earthquake  shook  every  building  to  its  foundation 
— the  ground  yawned  in  horrible  deformity,  and  your 
poor  mother — we  can  see  her  gravestone  from  the 
drawing-room  window,  you  know,  for  she  died  since 
we  have  been  here,  and  left  her  old  father's  heart  a 
dreary  blank.  Yet  not  so  either,  my  child,"  pressing 
me  to  his  breast  and  laying  his  hoary  head  on  mine, 
"  not  so  either,  for  she  bequeathed  you  to  my  guar- 
dian care,  and  you  are  now  the  solace  of  my  gray 
hairs." 

1  afterwards  learned  that  Davy  had  rescued  my 
dear  mother  from  destruction,  at  the  risk  of  his  own 
life,  dui-ing  an  earthquake  in  Trinidad,  for  which  my 
grandfather  had  given  him  his  freedom,  together  with 
the  hut  and  the  land'.  But  he  had  no  protector  in 
the  west :  the  slaves  plundered  his  property  ;  sickness 
came,  and  no  medical  attendant  would  minister  to  his 
wants  without  the  accustomed  fee  ;  he  contracted 
debts,  and  his  ground  was  sold  to  the  estate  on  which 
it  was  situated,  to  pay  the  lawyers.  He  quitted  the 
island  of  Trinidad  to  go  to  Berbice ;  but,  being  wreck- 
ed near  Mahaica  Creek,  on  the  east  coast  of  Demer- 


44  DADDY   DAVY. 

ara,  he  lost  his  free  papers,  was  seized  by  the  govern- 
ment, and  sold  as  a  slave,  to  pay  the  expense  of  ad- 
vertising and  his  keep.  He  fortunately  fell  into  the 
hands  of  a  kind  master,  who  at  his  death  once  more 
set  him  at  liberty,  and  he  had  come  to  England  in  the 
hope  of  bettering  his  condition.  But  here  misfortune 
still  pursued  him :  the  gentleman  whom  he  accom- 
panied died  on  the  passage ;  he  could  obtain  no  em- 
ployment on  his  landing ;  he  had  been  plundered  of 
what  little  money  he  possessed,  and  had  since  wan- 
dered about  the  country  till  the  evening  that  he  im- 
plored charity  and  found  a  home. 

My  worthy  grandfather  is  now  numbered  with  the 
dead ;  and  I  love  to  sit  upon  his  gravestone  at  the 
evening  hour  ;  it  seems  as  if  I  were  once  more  placed 
upon  his  knee,  and  listening  to  his  tales  of  bygone 
years.  But  Daddy  Davy  is  still  in  existence,  and 
living  with  me.  Indeed,  whilst  I  have  been  writing, 
I  have  had  occasion  to  put  several  questions  to  him 
on  the  subject,  and  he  has  been  fidgeting  about  the 
room  to  try  and  ascertain  what  I  was  relating  respect- 
ing him. 

"  I  am  only  giving  a  sketch  of  my  grandfather, 
Davy,"  said  I. 

"  Catch,  massa  !  what  he  call  catch  f  " 

"  About  the  schooner,  and  Trinidad,  and  the  earth- 
quake, Davy.'' 

"  And  da  old  massa  what  sleep  in  de  Werk-vn- 
nut?" 

"  Yes,  Davy,  and  the  snow-storm." 


AN   AGED    CHRISTIAN.  45 

"  Ah,  da  buckra  good  man  !  Davy  see  him  noder 
time  up  dare,"  pointing  toward  the  sky.  "  Gor 
Amighty  for  eber  bless  kind  massa  !  " 


AN  AGED  CHRISTIAN. 

"  ONE  afternoon,"  writes  an  American  missionary 
in  Africa,  "  I  went  to  see  old  Father  Scott,  an  aged 
dying  African.  He  sent  me  word  he  would  like  to 
see  me.  He  is  in  an  old  dilapidated  shanty.  A  few 
boards  knocked  together,  raised  about  a  foot  from  the 
floor,  served  as  a  bedstead.  The  straw  bed  we  made 
for  him  on  our  first  arrival.  A  little  bench,  on  which 
were  two  Bibles  and  an  earthen  jar  for  water,  was  all 
the  furniture  he  possessed.  He  is  dependent  for  food 
and  care  on  his  neighbors,  as  he  is  perfectly  helpless. 

A  woman  who  was  near  brought  me  a  stool,  and  I 
sat  down  beside  him.  He  was  delighted  to  see  me ; 
he  told  me  he  had  served  the  Lord  for  forty  years. 
He  had  been  a  Methodist  preacher  for  many  years, 
and  had  often  preached  three  times  a  day,  though  he 
could  never  read  a  word.  He  would  get  some  boy  to 
read  to  him  several  chapters  in  the  Bible,  till  he  got 
hold  of  just  the  text  that  would  suit  him.  I  was  very 
much  surprised  at  his  familiarity  with  the  Bible.  He 
could  tell  me  where  to  find  almost  any  passage. 

I  could  not  but  look  at  that  poor  old  man,  with  his 
few  privileges,  and  compare  them  with  those  of  our 
more  favored  people.  As  I  looked  at  him  in  his 


46  UNCLE   JACK. 

penury,  witnessed  his  happiness  and  his  implicit  faith, 
and  saw  how  near  home  he  was,  I  felt  that  he  was 
really  to  be  envied.  Who  can  doubt  the  power  of 
Divine  grace  ?  I  read  to  him,  and  talked  to  him  on 
the  glories  of  the  resurrection,  and  the  mansions  our 
Saviour  has  prepared  for  those  who  love  Him ;  and 
then  I  left  him  with  the  promise  of  soon  seeing  him 
again.  He  is  almost  blind.  He  begged  me  not  to 
forget  him  in  my  prayers.  He  is  dying  of  old  age,  yet 
no  one  knows  how  old  he  is. 


UNCLE  JACK; 

HE  was  a  remarkable  African  slave  of  Virginia.  It 
is  probable  he  was  brought  to  James  River  in  the  last 
slave-ship  that  brought  slaves  to  that  State/  Such 
was  the  regard  in  which  he  was  held  that,  on  the 
death  of  his  master,  several  benevolent  persons  sub- 
scribed a  sufficient  sum  to  purchase  his  freedom. 

Uncle  Jack's  talents  were  of  a  high  order,  and  his 
knowledge  of  human  nature  very  remarkable.  Dr. 
Rice,  of  Richmond,  said  of  him,  "  The  old  man's 
acquaintance  with  the  Scriptures  is  wonderful.  Many 
of  his  interpretations  of  obscure  passages  are  singu- 
larly just  and  striking."  He  spoke  pure  English.  A 
few  anecdotes  will  convey  a  good  idea  of  his  ready 
and  apt  mode  of  illustration.  A  person  addicted  to 
horse-racing  and  card-playing,  stopped  Uncle  Jack  on 


UNCLE   JACK.  47 

the  road  and  said,  "  Old  man,  you  Christians  say  a 
great  deal  about  the  way  to  heaven  being  narrow. 
Now  if  this  is  so,  a  great  many  who  profess  to  be 
travelling  it  will  not  find  it  half  wide  enough." 

"  That's  very  true,"  was  the  reply,  "  of  all  that 
have  merely  a  name  to  live,  and  all  like  you." 

"  Why  refer  to  me,"  said  the  man ;  "  if  the  road  is 
wide  enough  for  any,  it  is  for  me." 

"  By  no  means,"  said  Uncle  Jack.  "  You  will  want 
to  take  along  a  card-table,  or  a  race-horse  or  two. 
Now  there  is  no  room  along  this  way  for  such 
things." 

A  man  who  prided  himself  on  his  morality  said  to 
Uncle  Jack  :  "  Old  man,  I  am  as  good  as  I  need  to  be'. 
I  can't  help  thinking  so,  because  God  blesses  me  as 
much  as  he  does  you  Christians ;  and  I  don't  know 
what  more  I  want  than  He  gives  me." 

To  this  the  old  preacher  replied,  with  great  serious- 
ness, "  Just  so  with  the  hogs.  I  have  often  looked 
at  them,  rooting  among  the  leaves  in  the  woods,  and 
finding  j  ust  as  many  acorns  as  they  needed  ;  and  yet 
I  never  saw  one  of  them  look  up  to  the  tree  from 
whence  the  acorns  fell." 

On  one  occasion  some  unruly  persons  undertook  to 
arrest  and  whip  him,  and  also  several  of  his  hearers, 
for  holding  religious  meetings.  After  the  arrest  one 
of  the  men  thus  accosted  Uncle  Jack,  "  Well,  old  fel- 
low, you  are  the  ringleader  of  these  meetings,  and  we 
have  been  anxious  to  catch  you  ;  now  what  have  you 
to  say  for  yourself  ?  " 


48  CHRISTIAN   KINDNESS. 

"  Nothing  at  all,  master,"  was  the  reply. 

"  What !  nothing  to  say  against  being  whipped  ! 
how  is  that  ?  " 

"  I  have  been  wondering  a  long  time,"  said  the 
old  Christian,  "  how  it  was  that  so  good  a  man  as  the 
Apostle  Paul  should  have  been  whipped  three  times 
for  preaching  the  Gospel,  while  such  an  unworthy  man 
as  I  am  should  have  been  permitted  to  preach  twenty 
years  without  getting  a  lick."  The  young  men  imme- 
diately released  him. 

Uncle  Jack  died  in  1843,  aged  one  hundred  years. 
^Blake's  Biographical  Dictionary. 


CHRISTIAN  KINDNESS. 

IN  one  of  my  early  journeys,  says  Moffat,  with 
some  of  my  companions,  we  came  to  a  heathen  village 
on  the  borders  of  Orange  River,  South  Africa.  We 
had  travelled  far,  and  were  hungry,  thirsty,  and 
fatigued.  From  the  fear  of  being  exposed  to  lions, 
we  preferred  remaining  at  the  village  to  proceeding 
further  during  the  night.  The  people  of  the  village 
rather  roughly  directed  us  to  halt  at  a  distance.  We 
asked  for  water,  but  they  would  not  supply  it.  I 
offered  the  three  or  four  buttons  which  still  remained 
on  my  jacket  for  a  little  milk ;  this  also  was  refused. 
We  had  the  prospect  of  another  hungry  night  at  a 
distance  from  water,  though  within  sight  of  the  river. 


CHRISTIAN    KINDNESS.  49 

We  found  it  difficult  to  reconcile  ourselves  to  our  lot ; 
for  in  addition  to  repeated  rebuffs,  the  manner  of  the 
villagers  excited  suspicion. 

When  twilight  drew  on,  a  woman  approached  from 
the  height  beyond  which  the  village  lay.  She  bore 
on  her  head  a  bundle  of  wood,  and  had  a  vessel  of 
milk  in  her  hand.  The  latter,  without  opening  her 
lips,  she  handed  to  us,  laid  down  the  wood,  and 
returned  to  the  village.  A  second  time  she  ap- 
proached with  a  cooking-vessel  on  her  head,  a  leg  of 
mutton  in  one  hand,  and  water  in  the  other.  She  sat 
down  without  saying  a  word,  prepared  the  fire,  and 
put  on  the  meat.  We  asked  again  and  again  who  she 
was.  She  remained  silent  until  affectionately  entreated 
to  give  us  a  reason  for  such  unlooked-for  kindness  to 
strangers.  A  tear  stole  down  her  sable  cheek  as  she 
replied  :  "  I  love  Him  whose  servants  you  are  ;  and 
surely  it  is  my  duty  to  give  you  a  cup  of  cold  water  in 
His  name.  My  heart  is  full ;  therefore  I  cannot  speak 
the  joy  I  feel  to  see  you  in  this  out-of-the-way  place." 

On  learning  a  little  of  her  history,  we  found  she 
was  a  solitary  light  burning  in  a  dark  place.  I  asked 
her  how  she  kept  up  the  life  of  God  in  her  soul,  in 
the  entire  absence  of  the  communion  of  saints.  She 
drew  from  her  bosom  a  copy  of  the  Dutch  New  Testa- 
ment, which  she  had  received  from  brother  Helm  when 
in  his  school  several  years  since,  before  she  had  been 
compelled  by  her  connections  to  retire  to  her  present 
seclusion.  "  This,"  she  said,  "  is  the  fountain  whence 

I  drink  :  this  is  the  oil  which  makes  my  lamp  burn." 
3 


50  GRATITUDE    OF    SLAVES. 

I  looked  on  the  precious  relic,  and  the  reader  may 
imagine  how  I  felt,  and  my  companions  with  me, 
when  we  met  with  this  disciple,  and  mingled  our 
sympathies  and  prayers  together  at  the  throne  of  our 
heavenly  Father. 


GRATITUDE  OF  SLAVES. 

BY    DR.    LETTSOM. 

DR.  LETTSOM  was  born  in  the  West  Indies,  and  in- 
herited fifty  slaves,  which  was  all  the  property  his 
father  left  him.  He  gave  freedom  to  his  slaves  ;  and 
during  a  long  life,  with  a  large  practice  as  a  physician 
in  London,  he  kept  up  a  correspondence  with  some 
of  those  who  were  indebted  to  him  for  their  liberty. 
When  he  went  to  the  West  Indies  to  settle  his 
father's  estate,  he  made  a  visit  to  Tortola,  and  wrote 
to  a  friend  as  follows  : 

"  I  frequently  accompanied  Major  John  Pickering 
to  his  plantations,  and  as  he  passed  his  numerous 
negroes  saluted  him  in  a  loud  song,  which  they  con- 
tinued as  long  as  he  remained  in  sight.  I  was  also  a 
melancholy  witness  to  their  attachment  to  him  after 
his  death.  He  expired  suddenly,  and  when  few  of  his 
friends  were  near  him.  I  remember  I  held  his  hand 
when  the  final  period  arrived,  but  he  had  scarcely 
breathed  his  last  breath  before  it  was  known  to  his 
slaves,  and  instantly  about  five  hundred  of  them  sur- 
rounded the  house  and  insisted  on  seeing  their  master. 


THE    SLAVE    SHOEMAKER.  51 

"  They  commenced  a  dismal  and  mournful  yell, 
which  was  communicated  from,  one  plantation  to 
another,  till  the  whole  island  of  Tortola  was  in  agi- 
tation, and  crowds  of  negroes  were  accumulating 
around  us.  Distressed  as  I  was  by  the  loss  of  my 
relation  and  friend,  I  could  not  be  insensible  to  the 
danger  of  a  general  insurrection ;  or,  if  they  entered 
the  house,  which  was  constructed  of  wood,  and 
mounted  into  his  chamber,  there  was  danger  of  its 
falling  by  their  weight  and  crushing  us  in  its  ruins. 

"  In  this  dilemma  I  had  resolution  enough  to  secure 
the  doors,  and  thereby  prevent  sudden  intrusion. 
After  this  precaution  I  addressed  them  through  a 
window,  assuring  them  that  if  they  would  enter  the 
house  in  companies  of  only  twelve  at  a  time,  they 
should  all  be  admitted  to  see  their  deceased  master, 
and  that  the  same  lenient  treatment  of  them  should 
still  be  continued.  To  this  they  assented,  and  in  a 
few  hours  quiet  was  restored.  It  affected  me  to  see 
with  what  silent,  fixed  melancholy  they  departed 
from  the  remains  of  this  venerable  man." 


THE  SLAVE  SHOEMAKER. 

A  LADY,  who  was  a  Quaker,  travelled  several 
years  ago  through  some  of  the  Southern  States  on 
a  gospel  mission.  When  near  the  borders  of  North 
Carolina,  while  the  horses  were  being  fed,  she  walked 
towards  a  poor  hut,  and  on  entering  it  saw  an  aged 


52  THE    SLAVE    SHOEMAKER. 

man  engaged  in  making  shoes.  He  was  very  black, 
but  bis  hair  was  white  and  his  countenance  thought- 
ful ;  he  looked  up  surprised,  and  when  she  asked  if 
she  might  come  in  and  sit  down,  he  replied,  "  Will 
mistress  sit  with  me  ?  "  She  inquired  if  he  was  a 
slave,  and  if  he  had  a  wife  and  children.  He  said, 
"  If  mistress  will  hear  me  I  will  tell  her.  I  have  a 
wife  and  four  children,  but  massa  sold  them  into 
Georgia."  Wiping  his  eyes  with  the  sleeve  of  his 
shirt,  he  continued,  "  I  am  a  slave,  but,  mistress,  ever 
since  I  got  religion  God  has  sweetened  my  bitter  cup, 
and  made  smooth  my  rough  path  ;  my  bitter  cup  was 
parting  with  my  wife  and  children — my  rough  path  is 
slavery." 

She  asked  him  how  he  got  religion.  He  replied, 
"My  massa  let  me  go  to  hear  preaching,  and  I  re- 
member what  the  minister  said." 

"  Can  thou  read  ?  " 

"  No,  mistress,  but  God  helps  me  remember  ;  four- 
teen years  ago  I  got  religion ;  I  was  bad  before ; 
massa  bad  too.  When  I  got  religion,  I  was  good ; 
massa  was  kind  too  ;  hard  things  were  made  easy  ; 
bitter  cups  were  sweetened.  Mistress  knows  what 
that  means  (looking  at  her  earnestly).  I  know  you 
do.  Massa  gives  me  work,  and  I  must  do  it ;  no- 
body comes  here,  but  overseer  walks  by  once  a  day 
to  see  if  I  at  work ;  then  the  rest  of  the  time  is  my 
own  ;  I  have  one  and  sometimes  two  hours."  [ 

"  How  does  my  Christian  brother  employ  his  own 
time  ?  "  asked  the  lady. 


LET    ME    RING    THE    BELL.  53 

"  I  will  tell  you,  mistress :  I  shut  tlie  door,  then 
sit  down  on  that  bench  and  wait  upon  God ;  and 
what  good  times  I  have  !  Sometimes  I  go  to  prayer, 
and  God  puts  words  into  my  mouth ;  then  other 
times  something  here  (laying  his  hand  upon  his 
breast)  tells  me  not  to  pray,  but  to  be  still — wait 
upon  God  in  silence ;  and  did  my  massa  and  the 
white  people  know  how  good  I  felt,  they  would  be 
glad  to  come  and  sit  with  me.  In  heaven,  mistress, 
God  makes  no  difference — massa  and  slave  all  one." 

The  lady's  companions  now  called  for  her,  and  put 
an  end  to  this  very  interesting  conversation.  His 
parting  address  was :  "  Farewell,  mistress,  till  we 
meet  again  in  heaven.  God  bless  you."  With  tears 
they  parted. 


LET  ME  RING  THE  BELL. 

A  MISSIONARY  far  away, 

Beyond  the  Southern  sea, 
Was  sitting  in  his  home  one  day, 

With  Bible  on  his  knee, 

When  suddenly  he  heard  a  rap 

Upon  the  chamber  door, 
And  opening,  there  stood  a  boy, 

Of  some  ten  years  or  more. 

He  was  a  bright  and  happy  child, 

With  cheeks  of  dusky  hue, 
And  eyes  that  'neath  their  lashes  smiled 

And  glittered  like  the  dew. 


E4  LET    ME    RING    THE    BELL. 

He  held  his  little  form  erect, 

In  boyish  sturdiness, 
But  on  his  lip  you  could  detect 

Traces  of  gentleness. 

"  Dear  sir,"  he  said,  in  native  tongue, 
"  I  do  so  want  to  know, 

If  something  for  the  house  of  God 
You'd  kindly  let  me  do. " 

"  What  can  you  do,  my  little  boy?  " 

The  missionary  said, 
And  as  he  spoke  he  laid  his  hand 

Upon  the  youthful  head. 

Then  bashfully,  as  if  afraid 

His  secret  wish  to  tell, 
The  boy  in  eager  accents  said, 

"Oh,  let  me  ring  the  bell ! 

"  Oh,  please  to  let  me  ring  the  bell 
For  our  dear  house  of  prayer  ; 

I'm  sure  I'll  ring  it  loud  and  well, 
And  I'll  be  always  there  !  " 

The  missionary  kindly  looked 
Upon  that  upturned  face, 

Where  hope,  and  fear,  and  wistfulness 
United,  left  their  trace. 

And  gladly  did  he  grant  the  boon : 
The  boy  had  pleaded  well, 

And  to  the  eager  child  he  said, 
"  Yes,  you  shall  ring  the  bell ! " 


THE    FLIGHT    OF    A    SLAVE.  55 

Oh,  what  a  pleased  and  happy  heart 

He  carried  to  his  home, 
And  how  impatiently  he  longed 

For  the  Sabbath-day  to  come  ! 

He  rang  the  bell,  he  went  to  school,  •' 

The  Bible  learned  to  read, 

And  in  his  youthful  heart  they  sowed 
The  gospel's  precious  seed. 

And  now  to  other  heathen  lands 

He's  gone,  of  Christ  to  tell  ; 
And  yet  his  first  young  mission  was 

To  ring  the  Sabbath  bell. 


THE  FLIGHT  OF  A  SLAVE. 

- 

JAMES  was  born  a  slave  in  the  State  of 

Maryland.  He  was  so  useful  as  a  blacksmith  that 
his  value  was  at  least  one  thousand  dollars.  He  was 
brought  up  in  total  ignorance  of  letters  or  of  religion, 
but  he  always  aimed  to  be  trustworthy.  He  sought 
to  distinguish  himself  in  the  finer  branches  of  the 
business,  by  invention  and  finish,  making  fancy  ham- 
mers, hatchets,  etc.  One  day  his  master  thought 
James  was  watching  him  improperly,  and  fell  into  a 
panic  of  rage.  "  He  came  down  xipon  me  with  his 
cane,"  said  James,  "  and  laid  over  my  shoulders, 
arms,  and  legs  about  a  dozen  severe  blows,  so  that 
mv  flesh  was  sore  for  several  weeks."  He  felt  the 


56  THE    FLIGHT    OF    A    SLAVE. 

disgrace  of  the  beating  so  acutely  that  he  determined 
to  abscond,  and  if  possible  reach  the  free  soil  of 
Pennsylvania. 

One  Sunday  night,  in  November,  he  stole  away 
into  the  woods,  with  only  half  a  pound  of  Indian 
corn-bread  to  sustain  him  on  his  journey,  which 
would  take  several  days.  At  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning  his  strength  began  to  fail,  bis  scanty  supply 
of  food  afforded  poor  nourishment,  and  the  only 
shelter  he  could  find,  without  risking  travelling  by 
daylight,  was  a  corn-shock  but  a  few  hundred  yards 
from  the  road,  and  there  he  passed  his  first  day  out. 
As  night  came  on  he  pursued  his  journey  ;  it  was 
cloudy,  and  he  could  not  see  the  north  star,  which 
was  his  only  guide  to  freedom.  His  bread  was  all 
eaten,  he  felt  his  strength  failing,  and  his  mind  was 
filled  with  melancholy. 

In  this  condition  he  travelled  all  the  night,  and 
just  at  the  dawn  of  day  he  found  a  few  sour  apples, 
and  took  shelter  under  the  arch  of  a  bridge,  where  he 
lay  in  ambush  through  the  day.  Night  came  on,  and 
he  once  more  proceeded  on  his  wearisome  journey, 
frequently  he  was  overcome  with  hunger  and  fa- 
tigue, and  sat  down  and  slept  a  few  minutes.  At 
dawn  of  day  he  saw  a  toll-bar,  and  here  he  ventured 
to  ask  the  best  way  to  Philadelphia,  and  set  off  in 
the  right  direction.  His  taking  the  open  road  was 
fatal.  He  was  observed  by  a  man,  and  ordered  to 
give  an  account  of  himself.  After  a  parley,  James 
took  to  his  heels  ;  but  a  hue  and  cry  being  raised  he 


THE    FLIGHT    OF    A    SLAVE.  57 

was  speedily  captured.  Led  to  a  tavern  as  a  pris- 
oner, he  was  questioned.  He  persisted  in  saying  he 
was  a  free  man,  but  he  had  no  free  papers.  Though 
his  story  was  false,  we  must  remember  that  he  knew 
not  the  wickedness  of  a  lie,  for  he  knew  nothing  of 
God  and  our  Saviour. 

Toward  night,  being  watched  only  by  a  boy,  he 
contrived  to  slip  away,  arid  again  took  to  the  woods. 

Wandering  in  darkness,  the  north  star  being  cov- 
ered with  clouds,  he  was  at  a  loss  as  to  what  course 
to  pursue.  "  At  a  venture,"  says  he,  "  I  stnick 
northward  in  search  of  a  road.  After  sevei-al  hours 
of  laborious  travel,  dragging  through  briers  and 
thorns,  I  emerged  from  the  woods  and  found  myself 
wading  through  marshy  ground  and  over  ditches,  and 
came  to  a  road  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

O 

"  It  so  happened  I  came  where  there  was  a  fork  in 
the  road  of  three  prongs.  Which  was  the  right  one 
for  me  ?  After  a  few  moments'  parley  with  myself,  I 
took  the  central  prong  of  the  road,  and  pushed  on. 
with  all  my  speed.  It  had  not  cleared  off,  but  a 
fresh  wind  had  sprung  up ;  it  was  chilly  and  search- 
ing. This,  with  my  wet  clothes,  made  me  very  un- 
comfortable." 

He  saw  a  farm  with  a  small  hovel-like  barn ;  into 
this  he  went  and  buried  himself  in  the  straw.  Here 
he  lay  the  whole  day ;  his  only  danger  was  from  the 
yelping  of  a  small  dog,  and  the  noise  of  horsemen  who 
passed  in  search  of  him.  He  heard  them  say  they 

were  after  a  runaway  negro,  who  was  a  blacksmith, 
8* 


58  THE    FLIGHT    OF    A    SLAVE. 

and  that  a  reward  of  two  hundred  dollars  was  offered 
for  his  recovery.  Night  came,  and  he  was  again  on 
his  way,  but  all  he  could  do  was  to  keep  his  legs  in 
motion.  There  came  a  heavy  frost,  and  he  expected 
every  moment  to  fall  to  the  ground  and  perish. 

Coming  to  a  corn-field  covered  with  heavy  shocks 
of  corn,  he  gathered  an  ear  and  then  crept  into  one 
of  the  shocks ;  he  ate  as  much  as  he  could,  expecting 
to  travel  on,  but  fell  asleep,  and  when  he  awoke  the 
sun  was  shining.  He  was  obliged  to  conceal  himself 
as  well  as  he  could  through  the  day ;  he  began  again 
to  eat  the  hard  corn,  and  it  took  all  the  forenoon  to 
eat  his  breakfast.  Night  came,  and  he  sallied  out, 
feeling  much  better  for  the  com  he  had  eaten. 

He  now  believed  himself  near  to  Pennsylvania,  and 
xinder  this  impression,  skipped  and  danced  for  joy. 
He  says :  "  A  little  after  the  sun  rose  I  came  in  sight 
of  a  toll-gate  ;  for  a  moment  I  felt  some  hesitation, 
but  on  ai-riving  at  the  gate  I  found  it  attended  by 
onlv  an  elderly  woman,  whom  I  afterwards  heard  was 
a  widow  and  an  excellent  Christian.  I  asked  her  if  I 
was  in  Pennsylvania.  On  being  informed  that  I  was, 
I  asked  if  she  knew  where  I  could  get  employment. 
She  said  she  did  not,  but  advised  me  to  go  to  W.  W., 
a  Quaker,  who  lived  about  three  miles  from  her,  and 
•whom  I  would  find  to  take  an  interest  in  me.  In 
about  half  an  hour  I  stood  at  the  door  of  W.  W. 
After  knocking,  the  door  opened  upon  a  comfortably 
spread  table.  Not  daring  to  enter,  I  said  I  had  been 
sent  to  him  in  search  of  employment. 


THE    FLIGHT    OF    A    SLAVE.  59 

" '  Well,'  said  he,  '  come  in,  and  take  thy  breakfast 
and  get  warm.' 

"  These  words  made  me  feel,  in  spite  of  all  my  fear 
and  timidity,  that  I  had,  in  the  providence  of  God, 
found  a  friend  and  a  home.  He  at  once  gained  my 
confidence,  and  from  that  day  to  this,  whenever  I 
discover  the  least  disposition  in  my  heart  to  disregard 
poor  and  wretched  persons  with  whom  I  meet,  I  call 
to  mind  these  words :  '  Come  in,  and  take  thy  break- 
fast and  get  warm.' 

"I  was  a  starving  fugitive,  without  home  or 
friends,  and  no  claim  upon  him  to  whose  door  I  went. 
Had  he  turned  me  away  I  must  have  perished.  Nay, 
he  took  me  in,  and  gave  of  his  food,  and  shared  with 
me  his  own  garments." 

By  W.  W.  the  wretched  wanderer  was  fed,  clothed, 
and  employed,  and  not  only  so,  but  he  was  instructed 
in  reading,  writing,  and  much  useful  knowledge. 
Here,  for  the  first  time,  did  he  learn  one  word  of  the 
truths  of  religion. 

James  resided  with  the  benevolent  Quaker  for  six 
months,  when  it  became  necessary  for  him  to  depart 
and  go  elsewhere.  He  found  employment  on  Long 
Island,  opposite  New  York.  By  the  kindness  of 
his  friends  he  was  educated,  and  became  a  Christian 
minister  and  pastor  of  a  colored  congregation  in  con- 
nection with  the  Presbyterian  Chxirch. 


60  BEXJAJIIX    BANNEKER. 


BENJAMIN  BANNEKER. 

HE  was  born  in  Baltimore  County,  Maryland,  in 
the  year  1732.  There  was  not  a  drop  of  white  man's 
blood  in  his  veins.  His  father  was  born  in  Africa, 
and  his  mother's  parents  were  both  natives  of  Africa. 
What  genius  he  had  must  be  credited  to  that  race. 
Benjamin's  mother  was  a  remarkable  woman.  Her 
name  was  Morton  before  marriage,  and  her  nephew, 
Greenbury  Morton,  was  gifted  with  a  lively  and  im- 
petuous eloquence  which  made  its  mark  in  his  neigh- 
borhood. Her  husband  was  a  slave  when  she  mar- 
ried him,  but  she  soon  purchased  his  freedom.  To- 
gether they  bought  a  farm  of  two  hundred  acres,  which 
though  but  ten  miles  from  Jones'  Falls,  was  at  that 
time  a  wilderness. 

When  Benjamin  was  approaching  manhood  he  at- 
tended an  obscure  country  school,  where  he  learned 
reading  and  writing,  and  a  little  arithmetic.  Beyond 
these  rudimente  he  was  entirely  his  own  teacher. 

Perhaps  the  first  wonder  among  his  neighbors  was 
when,  at  thirty  years  of  age,  he  made  a  clock.  It  is 
probable  that  this  was  the  first  clock  of  which  every 
portion  was  made  in  America.  He  had  seen  a  watch, 
but  never  a  clock  ;  and  it  was  as  purely  his  own  in- 
vention as  if  none  .had  ever  been  made  before. 

The  clock  attracted  the  attention  of  the  Ellicott 
family,  well  educated  men,  and  Quakers.  They  gave 
him  books  and  astronomical  instruments.  From  this 


BENJAMIN    BANNEKER.  61 

time  astromony  became  the  great  object  of  Benjamin's 
life.  lie  remained  unmarried,  and  lived  in  a  cabin  on 
the  farm  his  father  left  him  ;  he  still  labored  for  a 
living,  but  his  wants  were  few  and  simple.  He  slept 
much  in  the  day,  that  he  might  observe  at  night-the 
heavenly  bodies,  whose  laws  he  was  studying.  The 
first  almanac  prepared  by  Banneker  was  for  the  year 
1792,  when  he  was  fifty-nine  years  old,  and  he  con- 
tinued to  prepare  almanacs  till  1802. 

He  had  become  known  and  respected  by  scientific 
men,  and  received  tokens  of  regard  from  many  of  them. 
The  Commissioners  to  run  the  lines  of  the  District  of 
Columbia  invited  Banneker  to  assist  them,  and  treat- 
ed him  in  all  respects  as  an  equal. 

A  gentleman  writes  of  Banneker :  "  When  I  was 
a  boy  I  became  very  much  interested  in  him,  as  his 
manners  were  those  of  a  perfect  gentleman — kind,  gen- 
erous, hospitable,  humane,  dignified,  and  pleasing — and 
he  abounded  in  information  on  all  the  various  subjects 
of  the  day."  His  head  was  covered  with  thick  white 
hair,  which  gave  him  a  dignified  and  venerable  ap- 
pearance. His  dress  was  uniformly  of  superfine  drab 
broadcloth,  made  with  straight  collar,  a  long  waist- 
coat, and  broad-brimmed  hat.  In-  size  and  personal 
appearance  the  statue  of  Franklin,  in  the  Library  of 
Philadelphia,  as  seen  from  the  street,  is  a  perfect  like- 
ness of  him. 


62       REPENTANCE    AND    AMENDMENT AN    INCIDENT. 

REPENTANCE    AND     AMENDMENT    IN    A 
COLORED  SCHOOL  AT  CHRISTIANSBURG. 

Two  days  since,  one  of  my  boys  had  been  behav- 
ing badly  all  the  afternoon.  I  think  I  spoke  to  him 
three  times  during  the  session,  and  it  seemed  to  have 
no  effect;  so  when  five  o'clock  came,  I  told  him  I 
would  see  him  after  school.  When  the  other  scholars 
had  left,  I  went  and  sat  down  by  him,  and  talked  to 
him  a  short  time.  Among  other  things,  I  told  him 
that  I  could  not  teach  a  boy  who  would  do  so  badly, 
and  that  I  wanted  him  to  kneel  down  with  me,  and 
I  would  ask  the  Lord  to  watch  over  him  after  I  had 
to  give  him  up.  He  was  crying  very  hard,  and  we 
knelt  down  together.  When  I  came  to  that  part  of 
my  prayer,  he  screamed  out,  "  O  Lord !  don't  let 
Miss  Lucy  turn  me  out  of  school.  Please,  Lord, 
don't  let  her  !  I  know  I  have  been  a  bad  boy,  but  I 
won't  do  so  any  more.  Oh  !  help  her  to  forgive  me. 
O  Jesus  !  I  love  to  come  to  school !  do  forgive  me  for 
being  so  wicked  !  "  Of  course  I  forgave  him.  He  has 

k 

given  me  no  trouble  since,  and  I  do  not  think  he  will. 
— A.m.  Freedman. 


AN  INCIDENT. 

DURING  the  late  rebellion  the  Confederate  army 
burnt  the  town  of  Hampton,  Va.,  as  they  left  it,  to 
prevent  the  Union  troops,  who  were  approaching, 


AN   INCIDENT.  63 

taking  possession  of  the  houses  for  winter-quai  ters. 
Soon  afterwards  a  gentlemen  was  riding  through  the 
deserted  streets  and  heard  the  voices  of  children,  but 
saw  no  one ;  all  the  white  inhabitants  of  the  town 
had  fled  with  the  Confederate  army,  and  the  colored 
people  were  employed  around  the  camp  beyond  the 
town.  He  stopped  his  horse  and  listened,  then  ad- 
vanced in  the  direction  from  which  the  voices  seemed 
to  come,  and  looked  within  the  four  blackened  walls 
and  half-burnt  wood-work  of  what  had  been  a  lordly 
mansion.  There  he  saw  forty  colored  children  seated 
on  heaps  of  stones  and  charred  wood,  rejoicing  and 
singing  "The  Christian's  Home."  They  added  the 
last  verse. 

I  have  a  home  above, 
From  sin  and  sorrow  free  ; 
A  mansion  which  eternal  love 
Design' d  and  form'd  for  me. 

My  Father's  gracious  hand 
Has  built  this  sweet  abode, 
From  everlasting  it  was  plann'd, 
My  dwelling-place  with  God. 

My  Saviour's  precious  blood 
Has  made  my  title  sure  ; 
He  passed  through  death's  dark  raging  flood 
To  make  my  rest  secure. 

The  Comforter  is  come, 
The  Earnest  has  been  given  ; 
He  leads  me  onward  to  the  home 
Reserv'd  for  me  in  heaven. 


AN    INCIDENT. 

Bright  angels  guard  my  way  ; 
His  ministers  of  power 
Encamping  round  me  night  and  day, 
Preserve  in  danger's  hour. 

Lov'd  ones  are  gone  before, 
Whose  pilgrim  days  are  done  ; 
I  soon  shall  greet  them  on  that  shore, 
Where  partings  are  unknown. 

But  more  than  all  I  long 
HIS  glories  to  behold, 
Whose  smile  fills  all  that  radiant  throng, 
With  ecstasy  untold. 

That  bright,  yet  tender  smile 
(My  sweetest  welcome  there), 
Shall  cheer  me  through  the  little  while 
I  tarry  for  Him  here. 

Thy  love,  thou  precious  Lord, 
My  joy  and  strength  shall  be  ; 
Till  Thou  shalt  speak  the  glad'ning  word 
That  bids  me  rise  to  Thee. 

And  then  through  endless  days, 
Where  all  Thy  glories  shine, 
In  happier,  holier  strains  I'll  praise 
The  grace  that  made  me  Thine. 

Before  the  great  I  AM, 
Around  His  throne  above, 
The  song  of  Moses  and  the  Lamb, 
We'll  sing  with  deathless  love. 


SOJOUKNER    TRUTH.  65 

There  is  no  sorrow  there  ! 

There  is  no  sorrow  there  ! 

In  heaven  above  where  all  is  love, 

There  is  no  sorrow  there. 


SOJOURNER   TRUTH. 

A  MAN  and  his  wife  and  their  children  were 
brought  from  Africa  to  America,  and  were  sold  as 
slaves.  One  little  girl  and  her  mother  kept  together, 
but  the  others  were  so  far  separated  that  they  never 
met  agaiu.  The  little  girl's  name  was  Isabella ;  but 
•when  she  grew  to  be  a  woman  and  became  a  Christian, 
she  adopted  the  name  of  Sojourner  Truth. 

She  told  a  lady,  "  I  can  remember,  when  I  was  a 
little  thing,  how  my  ole  mammy  would  sit  out  of  doors 
in  the  evenin',  an'  look  up  at  the  stars  an'  groan. 
She'd  groan,  an'  groan,  and  says  I  to  her  : 

"  '  Mammy,  what  makes  you  groan  so  ?  ' 

"  An'  she'd  say,  '  Matter  enough,  chile !  I'm 
groaning  to  think  of  my  poor  children ;  they  don't 
know  where  I  be,  and  I  don't  know  where  they  be  ; 
they  looks  up  at  the  stars,  an'  I  looks  up  at  the 
stars,  but  I  can't  tell  where  they  be.' 

"  '  Now,'  she  said,  '  chile,  when  you  be  grown  up, 
you  may  be  sold  away  from  your  mother  an'  all  your 
ole  friends,  an'  have  great  troubles  come  on  ye ;  an' 
when  you  has  these  troubles  come  on  ye,  ye  jes  go  to 
God,  an' He'll  help  ye.'" 

Isabella  was  sold  to  a  hard  master  and  mistress. 


66  SOJOURNER    TRUTH. 

She  thought  she  had  got  into  trouble,  and  she  wanted 
to  find  God ;  she  prayed  that  He  would  make  her 
master  and  mistress  better,  and  as  He  did  not  do  so, 
she  concluded  they  were  too  bad  to  be  made  better, 
and  that  she  might  leave  them.  So  she  rose  at  three 
o'clock  one  morning,  and  travelled  till  late  at  night, 
when  she  came  to  a  house  and  went  in,  "  And,"  she 
said,  "  they  were  Quakers,  an'  real  kind  they  was  to 
me.  They  jes  took  me  in,  an'  did  for  me  as  kind  as 
ef  I  had  been  one  of  'em,  an'  I  stayed  an'  lived  with 
'em  two  or  three  years.  An'  now,  jes  look  here  ;  in- 
stead o'  keeping  my  promise  an'  being  good,  as  I  told 
the  Lord  I  would,  jest  as  soon  as  everything  got  agoing 
easy,  I  forgot  all  about  God,  an'  I  gin  up  praying." 

Sojourner  did  not  long  continue  in  this  dark  state, 
but  she  fcmnd  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  she  said,  "  I  shouted 
and  cried,  Praise,  praise,  praise  to  the  Lord ;  an'  I 
began  to  feel  such  a  love  in  my  soul  as  I  never  felt 
before, — love  to  all  creatures.  An'  then  all  of  a  sud- 
den it  stopped  ;  an'  I  said, '  There  are  the  white  folks, 
that  have  abused  you,  an'  beat  you,  an'  abused  your 
people, — think  o'  them  ! '  An'  then  there  came 
another  rush  o'  love  through  my  soul,  an'  I  cried  out 
loud,  '  Lord,  Lord,  1  can  love  even  the  white  folks. 
Jesus  loved  me  !  I  knowed  it,  I  felt  it.'  " 

When  slavery  was  abolished  in  the  State  of  New 
York,  Sojourner  went  back  to  her  old  mistress  and 
demanded  her  son;  he  had  been  sent  to  Alabama. 
After  some  trouble  and  expense  her  sou  was  brought 
back  to  her,  though  her  mistress  said  to  her : 


SOJOURNER    TRUTH.  67 

"What  a  fuss  you  make  about  a  little  nigger  !  got 
more  of  'em  now  than  you  know  what  to  do  with." 

"Sojourner,"  said  a  gentleman,  "  you  seem  to  be 
very  sure  about  heaven." 

"  Well,  I  be  ;  "  she  answered  triumphantly. 

"  What  makes  you  so  sure  there  is  any  heaven  ?  " 

"  Well,  because  I  go^t  such  a  hankering  arter  it  in 
here,"  she  said,  giving  a  thump  on  her  breast  with 
her  usual  energy. 

(l  Sojourner,  did  you  always  go  by  this  name  ?  " 

"  No,  'deed  !  My  name  was  Isabella.  No,  'deed  ! 
but  when  I  left  the  house  of  bondage,  I  left  every- 
thing behind.  I  want  goin'  to  keep  nothin'  of  Egypt 
about  me,  and  so  I  went  to  the  Lord  and  asked  him 
to  give  me  a  new  name.  And  the  Lord  gave  me 
Sojourner,  because  I  was  to  travel  up  an'  down  the 
land,  showing  the  people  their  sins,  an'  being  a  sign 
\into  them.  Afterwards  I  told  the  Lord  I  wanted 
another  name,  'cause  everybody  else  had  two  names ; 
and  the  Lord  gave  me  Truth,  cause  I  was  to  declare 
the  truth  to  the  people." 

Wendell  Phillips  relates  a  scene  of  which  he  was 
witness  before  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  the  United 
States.  It  was  in  a  crowded  public  meeting  in 
Faneuil  Hall,  Boston,  where  Frederick  Douglas  was 
one  of  the  chief  speakers.  Douglas  had  been  describ- 
ing the  wrongs  of  the  colored  race,  and  as  he  pro- 
ceeded he  grew  more  and  more  excited,  and  finally 
ended  by  saying  that  they  had  no  hope  of  justice  from 
the  whites,  no  possible  hope  except  in  their  own  right 


68  SOJOURXER    TRUTH. 

arms.  It  must  come  to  blood ;  they  must  fight  for 
themselves,  or  it  would  never  be  done. 

Sojourner  was  sitting,  tall  and  dark,  on  the  very 
front  seat  facing  the  platform  ;  and  in  the  hush  of 
feeling  after  Frederick  sat  down,  she  spoke  out  in  her 
deep  peculiar  voice,  heard  all  over  the  house  : 

"  Frederick,  is  God  dead  f  " 

The  effect  was  perfectly  electrical,  and  thrilled 
through  the  whole  house,  changing  as  by  a  flash,  the 

O  O         O  */ 

whole  feeling  of  the  audience.  Not  another  word  she 
said  or  needed  to  say,  n;  was  enough. 

The  following  is  from  a  letter  from  a  lady  who 
visited  Freedman's  Village,  near  Washington,  where 
Sojourner  Truth  was  residing  in  a  little  frame  build- 
ing with  the  American  flag  over  the  door. 

"  We  found  Sojourner  Truth,  tall,  dark,  very 
homely,  but  with  an  expression  of  determination  and 
good  sense  by  no  means  common.  She  apologized  for 
her  hoarseness,  as  she  had  a  meeting  last  evening. 
We  asked  what  she  had  been  doing  there.  '  Fighting 
the  devil,'  she  said.  What  particular  devil  ?  '  An 
unfaithful  man  who  has  undertaken  work  for  which 
he  is  not  competent.  My  people,'  she  added,  '  have 
fallen  very  low,  and  no  one  need  take  hold  to  help 
raise  them  up  as  a  matter  of  business,  it  must  be  done 
from  love.'  She  greatly  complained  of  some  one  who 
had  an  office  in  relation  to  the  Freedmen,  and  said  he 
ought  to  be  removed.  She  was  asked  why  she  did 
not  go  to  the  President  with  her  story  of  the  wrong- 


KATY    FERGUSON.  69 

doing.  She  said,  '  Don't  you  see  the  President  has  a 
big  job  on  hand?  Any  little  matter  Sojourner  can  do 
for  herself  she  aint  going  to  bother  him  with.'  " 


KATY   FERGUSON; 

OR,  WHAT    A   POOR    COLORED   WOMAN    MAY   DO. 

ABOUT  the  year  1774,  Katy  Ferguson  was  born. 
Her  mother  was  a  slave,  and  was  taken  from  her 
young  child  and  sold  to  another  master. 

Uneducated  and  unaided  in  her  parental  duties, 
this  poor  Christian  mother  had  been  faithful  to  the 
extent  of  her  abilities,  and  left  upon  the  mind  of  her 
child  indelible  religious  impressions.  Katy,  in  speak- 
ing of  this  cruel  separation,  many  years  afterward, 
said  :  "  Mr.  B.  sold  my  mother,  and  she  was  carried 
away  from  me  ;  but  I  remember  that  before  they  tore 
us  asunder,  she  kneeled  down,  laid  her  hand  upon  my 
head,  and  gave  me  to  God." 

Katy's  active  mind  sought  every  opportunity  of 
acquiring  knowledge.  Her  mother  had  taught  her 
much  that  she  herself  remembered  of  the  Scriptures. 
Other  persons  had  taught  her  the  catechism,  and  her 
retentive  memory  seldom  lost  what  had  been  com- 
mitted to  it. 

In  her  fifteenth  year,  the  Holy  Spirit  applied  to 
her  conscience  and  heart  the  truths  of  Scripture  which 


70  KATY    FERGUSON. 

she  had  thus  received.  But  when  awakened  to  a 
perception  of  her  sinfulness,  she  felt  the  need  of  some 
kind  counsellor. 

Neither  master  nor  mistress  had  ever  encouraged 
her  to  communicate  her  thoughts  on  religious  sub- 
jects. The  minister  on  whose  services  she  attended, 
Dr.  John  M.  Mason,  was  a  man  of  such  a  command- 
ing figure  and  bearing  as  to  inspire  her  with  fear, 
rather  than  confidence.  Yet  she  knew  he  was  a  faith- 
ful servant  of  Christ,  and  that  he  would  care  for  her 
soul.  She  accordingly  ventured  to  call  on  him.  She 
remarked  afterward,  "  While  I  was  standing  at  the 
door,  after  having  rung  the  bell,  my  feelings  were  in- 
describable. And  when  the  door  was  opened,  and  I 
found  myself  in  the  minister's  presence,  I  trembled 
from  head  to  foot.  One  harsh  word  or  look  would 
have  crushed  me."  But  this  faithful  minister  of 
Christ  at  once  appreciated  her  solicitude,  and  in  the 
gentlest  manner  inquired,  "  Have  you  come  here  to 
talk  with  me  about  your  soul  ?  "  This  kind  reception 
at  once  relieved  and  encouraged  her  to  open  her  whole 
heart.  The  interview  was  blessed  of  God  to  her  con- 
version. And  from  that  day,  her  course  was  remark- 
ably direct  and  upward.  She  was,  in  a  word,  an 
earnest,  self-denying  follower  of  Christ. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen,  by  the  aid  of  friends,  she 
was  made  a  free  woman  ;  and  very  soon  afterwards 
married ;  but  her  husband  and  children  did  not  live 
long. 

She  lived  in  a  part  of  the  city  where  there  were 


KATY    FERGUSON.  71 

many  very  poor  families,  and  many  of  both  colored 
and  white  children  who  had  none  to  care  for  their 
bodies  or  souls.  Some  of  these  she  took  to  her  own 
home  and  taught  them  to  take  care  of  themselves ; 
and  for  others  she  found  places,  where  they  would 
be  provided  for.  In  this  way,  during  her  life,  she 
secured  homes  for  forty-eight  of  these  neglected  and 
suffering  ones  ; — thus  anticipating  one  of  the  benevo- 
lent movements  of  our  time. 

But  her  concern  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  those 
around'  her  was  especially  manifest,  and  in  most  ap- 
propriate ways.  She  invited  the  children  to  come 
into  her  house  every  Sabbath  day,  for  religious  in- 
struction. Feeling  her  own  incompetency  to  instruct 
them  fully,  especially  as  she  was  herself  unable  to 
read,  she  obtained  the  assistance  of  other  Christian 
people  in  this  work.  The  well-known  Isabella  Graham 
thus  aided  Katy  by  occasionally  inviting  her  little 
flock  to  come  to  her  own  house. 

Thus  Katy's  labor  of  love  went  on  for  some  time, 
unobserved  for  the  most  part,  even  by  Christian  peo- 
ple, but  not  unnoticed  by  God.  He  smiled  upon  her, 
and  as  He  often  does  in  the  case  of  humble  efforts 
like  hers,  made  her  little  school  on  the  Sabbath  the 
beginning  of  a  great  and  good  work  in  that  city.  It 
was  about  this  time  that  the  house  of  worship  on 
Murray  street,  in  which  Dr.  Mason  preached,  was 
built.  This  good  man  of  God  had  not  forgotten 
Katy,  the  trembling  inquirer.  Having  heard  of  her 
Sabbath  assembly  of  children,  he  went  one  day  to  see 


72  KATY    FERGUSON". 

what  she  was  doing.  As  he  entered  her  lowly  dwell- 
ing, and  looked  around  upon  the  group  of  interested, 
happy-looking  faces,  he  said,  with  his  wonted  kind- 
ness :  "  What  are  you  about  here,  Katy  ?  Keeping 
school  on  the  Sabbath  ?  We  must  not  leave  you  to 
do  all  this."  He  immediately  conferred  with  the  offi- 
cers of  his  church,  telling  them  what  he  had  seen,  and 
advising  that  others  should  join  Katy  in  this  good 
work.  Soon  the  lecture-room  was  opened  for  the 
reception  and  instruction  of  Katy's  charge.  This  was 
the  beginning  of  the  Sabbath-school  in  the  Murray 
Street  Church ;  and  KATY  FERGUSON*,  the  colored 
woman,  who  had  been  a  slave,  is  believed  to  have 
thus  gathered  THE  FIRST  SABBATH  SCHOOL  ix  THE 
CITY  OF  NEW  YORK. 

But  Katy's  benevolent  heart  was  not  satisfied  with 
this  effort  for  the  good  of  children.  She  established  and 
maintained,  during  the  last  forty  years  of  her  life,  a 
weekly  prayer-meeting  at  her  house,  and  during  the 
last  five  years  of  her  life,  when  she  could  not  attend 
the  public  services  of  divine  worship,  she  made  her 
own  house  a  Bethel  on  Sabbath  afternoons,  by  gather- 
ing the  neglected  children  of  the  neighborhood,  with 
such  others  as  did  not  attend  at  any  place  of  public 
worship,  and  obtaining  some  suitable  person  to  lead 
in  the  services  of  prayer  and  praise. 

The  cause  of  foreign  missions  was  also  dear  to  Katy. 
On  one  occasion,  a  young  man  who  was  about  to  sail 
for  Africa  as  a  missionary,  was  invited  to  attend  a 
meeting  at  her  house.  Three  years  afterwards,  on 


KATY   FERGUSON.  73 

speaking  of  this  man  and  his  associate  missionaries, 
she  said  :  "  For  these  three  years  I  have  never  missed 
a  day  but  I  have  prayed  for  those  dear  missionaries." 

The  question  may  occur  to  some  persons,  where  did 
this  poor  woman  procure  the  means  of  doing  so  much 
good — clothing  children  and  assisting  missionaries? 
Uneducated  as  she  was,  she  possessed  extraordinary 
taste  and  judgment.  Of  a  truly  refined  nature,  she 
appreciated  the  beautiful,  wherever  found.  Hence  a 
wedding,  or  other  festival,  in  some  of  the  best  circles 
of  New  York,  could  scarcely  be  considered  complete 
unless  Katy  had  superintended  the  nicer  provisions 
of  the  table.  She  was  also  uncommonly  skilful  in  the 
cleaning  of  laces  and  other  fine  articles  of  ladies' 
dresses.  This  constant  demand  for  her  services 
must,  however,  be  likewise  traced,  in  part,  to  the 
great  esteem  in  which  she  was  held,  and  to  the  desire 
to  furnish  her  the  means  of  continuing  her  useful 
Christian  labors. 

She  was  a  cheerful  believer  ;  occupied  less  in  com- 
plaining of  her  own  deficiencies  and  her  troubles,  or 
boasting  of  her  attainments,  than  in  commending  her 
Redeemer  to  others,  and  in  trying  to  imitate  His 
active  benevolence. 

Thus  was  this  beloved  disciple  ripening  for  heaven. 
And  when  death,  in  that  fearful  disease,  the  cho- 
lera, came  for  her,  she  was  ready,  and  calmly  ex- 
pressed her  Christian  confidence  by  saying  :  "  Oh,  what 
a  good  thing  it  is  to  have  a  hope  in  Jesus  !  "  Her 
last  words  were,  "  All  is  well." 


74  ANCASS. 

POOR    POMPEY. 

An  old  African  who  had  long  served  the  Lord, 
when  on  his  death-bed,  was  visited  by  his  friends,  who 
came  around  him  lamenting  that  he  was  going  to  die, 
saying  :  "  Poor  Pompey  !  poor  Pompey  is  dying."  The 
old  saint  said  to  them,  with  much  earnestness  :  "  Don't 
call  me  poor  Pompey.  7",  KING  Pompey,"  referring  to 
Revelation  i.  verse  6. — "And  hath  made  us  kings  and 
priests  unto  God  and  His  Father.'1'' 


ANCASS. 

"  I  WAS  born  in  Africa,  about  the  year  1 789 ;  the 
country  of  the  Iboes  was  my  home.  My  father's 
name  was  Durl,  and  mine,  Ancass.  My  mother  was 
my  father's  only  wife,  and  she  was  the  daughter  of  a 
great  chieftain.  Of  four  children  I  was  the  only  son, 
and  therefore  my  father's  pet.  He  always  liked  to 
have  me  near  him,  and  even  when  he  went  out  to 
work  he  would  take  me  along  with  him.  In  the 
midst  of  our  ignorance  we  had  a  vague  idea  of  the 
existence  of  a  Supreme  Being,  which  we  know  that 
every  heathen  can  see  from  the  works  of  creation. 
"We  called  him  '  Thunderer,'  and  appealed  to  him  for 
aid  in  case  of  illness. 

"  A  young  man  began  to  pay  us  frequent  visits,  un- 
der pretence  of  wishing  to  marry  one  of  mjr  sisters,  but 
in  reality,  doubtless,  with  a  view  to  getting  possession 
of  me,  a  growing,  healthy  boy,  about  twelve  years  old.. 


ANCASS.  75 

One  day  my  father  had  gone  out,  leaving  me  with  my 
sisters,  and  the  young  man  made  use  of  the  oppor- 
tunity to  persuade  me  to  accompany  him  to  a  market 
in  the  vicinity,  which  he  described  to  me  in  glowing 
colors.  We  walked  all  that  day,  and  never  reached 
the  place ;  the  night  was  spent  with  an  acquaintance 
of  my  guide,  and  our  journey  continued  all  the  next 
day.  I  was  struck  by  the  circumstance  that  persons 
who  met  us  often  asked  the  man  what  he  was  going  to 
do  with  the  boy  he  had  with  him,  whether  he  was  in- 
tending to  sell  him,  etc.  He  invariably  gave  an  as- 
surance of  the  contrary,  but  1  was  soon  to  learn  what 
his  scheme  really  was. 

"  The  end  of  the  journey  was  reached  at  last,  and 
proved  to  be  a  trading  place  on  the  coast.  I  lay 
down  under  a  large  tree,  and  gazed  on  the  scene  with 
delight. 

"  Suddenly  a  stranger  appeared,  and  proposed  that 
I  should  try  a  sail  in  his  boat.  I  was  frightened  and 
refused :  but  fcmnd  myself  seized  by  the  man's  strong 
hand,  and  rapidly  dragged  away.  Then  1  knew  that 
I  was  being  taken  as  a  slave.  The  man  who  had 
brought  me  from  home  and  sold  me  to  the  traders, 
looked  on  unmoved  as  I  was  hurried  to  the  water's 
edge,  and  I  could  only  implore  him  to  take  a  last 
message  to  my  dear  father,  letting  him  know  what 
had  become  of  me. 

"  There  were  several  negroes  already  in  the  boat, 
bound  with  ropes,  and  others  were  added.  When 
the  boat  put  off  for  the  ship  I  was  so  exhausted  with 


76  ANCASS. 

crying,  that  the  gentle  rocking  motion  lulled  me  into 
a  sound  sleep,  from  which  I  awoke  to  find  that  we 
were  being  lifted  into  the  vessel.  The  white  color  of 
the  captain's  face  filled  me  with  no  less  astonishment 
than  his  black,  shining  feet  without  toes,  as  1  regard- 
ed his  polished  boots,  which  I  now  saw  for  the  first 
time.  The  next  morning  I  was  horrified  to  see  great 
numbers  of  people  brought  up  from  the  hold  on  deck, 
to  be  fed  with  yams  and  rum.  As  for  myself,  I  was 
heartily  glad  to  be  spared  this  confinement.  I  was  at 
liberty  to  remain  on  deck  with  some  other  boys,  slept 
in  the  captain's  cabin,  and  was  soon  very  happy. 

"  On  reaching  Kingston,  in  Jamaica,  the  slaves  went 
ashore,  and  I  looked  with  intense  longing  at  the 
beautiful  land,  visible  from  the  ship.  I  was  kept  on 
board  for  several  weeks,  and  the  captain  told  me  I 
•was  destined  to  be  his  servant,  and  should  not  be 
allowed  to  go  ashoi'e.  On  my  declaring,  however, 
that  I  was  resolved,  at  all  hazards,  to  leave  the  vessel, 
and  would  leap  overboard  if  he  should  try  to  prevent 
me,  he  changed  his  mind,  and  I  was  sent  to  a  white 
man,  who  took  me,  with  eleven  others,  into  the  yard 
adjoining  his  house.  We  were  purchased  for  the 
owner  of  the  estate  Krepp,  and  thither  we  were  taken 
without  further  delay.  My  companions  were  sent  to 
work  in  the  fields ;  I  was  retained  as  servant  in  the 
overseer's  family,  and  called  Toby.  After  the  lapse 
of  a  year  my  master  took  me  as  servant  into  his  own 
house,  making  me  the  companion  and  play-fellow  of 
his  children,  and  treating  me  with  great  kindness. 


ANCASS.  77 

"  About  eight  years  afterwards  my  master  left  the 
island  for  England,  and  I  was  sent  with  the  children 
to  the  seaport-town,  Savana-la-Mar,  where  we  were 
to  attend  the  church  and  school.  This  was  anything 
but  agreeable  to  us,  and  I  persisted  in  neglecting 
every  opportunity  of  learning,  which  I  might  have 
enjoyed.  As  to  the  church,  I  invariably  played  out- 
side during  the  services,  and  my  master's  children 
were  generally  with  me.  In  three  years'  time  the 
master  returned,  and  took  us  all  back  to  the  estate, 
where  he  soon  died.  The  eldest  son  became  owner  of 
the  property,  and  he  immediately  appointed  me  his 
overseer  at  Krepp,  and  subsequently  at  Dumbasken, 
when  the  former  estate  was  sold. 

"  In  tlie  year  1824  the  owner  of  a  neighboring 
estate  (Paynstown)  returned  to  Jamaica  from  a  visit 
in  England.  This  gentleman  and  his  lady  were  true 
Christians.  One  evening,  when  passing  his  planta- 
tion on  my  way  home,  I  met  a  female  servant  of  the 
family,  Christina  by  name,  who  was  going  to  draw 
water  from  a  neighboring  spring.  I  entered  into 
conversation  with  her,  and  she  told  me  that  on  Sun- 
day there  would  be  prayer  and  singing  at  Paynstown, 
and  that  her  master  invited  his  .people  to  attend.  I 
asked  if  strangers  were  admitted,  and  was  told  that 
Mrs.  Cook  had  frequently  expressed  her  regret  that 
no  one  from  the  vicinity  would  come  to  join  them  at 
prayers,  and  that  strangers  would  be  welcomed,  not 
only  on  Sundays,  but  also  in  the  morning  and  even- 
ing of  the  week-days. 


78  ANCASS. 

"  This  conversation  made  a  deep  impression  npon 
me,  and  the  thought  of  the  prayer-meeting  at  Payns- 
town  was  continually  recurring  day  and  night,  until 
I  at  length  resolved  to  go  there  011  the  following  Sun- 
day. 

"  Sunday  came,  and  I  started  on  my  way  to  Payns- 
town.  On  reaching  the  house,  a  negro  servant  ad- 
dressed me  in  a  friendly  voice ;  at  the  same  moment 
Mrs.  Cook  appeared  at  the  door,  and  I  heard  her  say 
to  the  attendant,  on  his  mentioning  my  name,  '  Let 
him  enter ;  I  am  glad  that  he  conies  ! '  Feeling  very 
shy,  I  waited  outside  the  hall  till  a  bell  gave  the  sum- 
mons for  prayers.  Mr.  Cook  conducted  the  service, 
which  was  commenced  with  singing  a  hymn :  then  a 
portion  of  the  Scriptures  was  read  and  prayer  of- 
fered. I  have  no  recollection  of  what  was  read,  nor 
could  I  understand  the  prayer,  as  I  knew  nothing  of 
our  Saviour ;  yet  I  shall  never  forget  this  hour ;  it 
was  a  turning-point  for  the  whole  of  my  life.  I  had 
a  feeling  that  I  was  in  the  presence  of  Almighty  God, 
my  Lord  and  God,  and  my  inmost  soul  was  deeply 
moved,  while  I  trembled  from  head  to  foot.  Unable 
to  utter  a  word,  I  hurried  away  and  remained  alone 
in  my  hut. 

"  Some  time  afterwards  Mrs.  Cooper  offered  to 
teach  me  to  read  if  I  wished  to  learn,  and  I  gladly 
accepted  her  offer,  though  exposing  myself  to  no 
littTe  ridicule  on  the  part  of  my  fellow-slaves,  who 
thought  it  very  foolish  of  me  to  attempt  to  learn  to 
read  '  the  white  men's  book.'  How  thankful  have  I 


ANCASS.  79 

felt  ever  since  that  I  was  enabled  to  read  the  Bible 
for  myself,  and  thus  come  into  the  enjoyment  of  a 
wonderful  privilege  ! 

"  Saturday  and  Sunday  were  free  days  for  the 
slaves ;  Sunday  was  market-day  in  the  neighboring 
town,  and  we  negroes  were  in  the  habit  of  cultivating 
our  own  plots  of  ground  on  our  return  from  the  ser- 
vice at  JPaynstown,  or  carrying  their  produce  to  the 
market.  One  Sunday  I  was  so  eagerly  bent  on  mak- 
ing the  most  out  of  my  garden,  that  I  did  not  go  to 
Paynstown,  but  was  busy  at  work  from  earliest  dawn. 
Suddenly  the  conviction  seized  my  mind  that  I  was 
not  acting  right  in  the  sight  of  God,  in  thus  digging 
and  planting  in  hope  of  gain.  Quite  overcome  with 
the  thought,  I  threw  away  my  hoe,  and  kneeling  in 
the  hole  which  1  had  just  dug,  I  cried  aloud  to  our 
Saviour,  imploring  Him  to  help  me  in  my  darkness, 
and  show  me  what  I  ought  to  do.  The  comforting 
light  was  vouchsafed  to  me  at  once.  While  recogniz- 
ing my  sinful  conduct  in  striving  for  outward  gain  to 
the  detriment  of  my  soul,  I  was  assured  that  all  my 
need  would  be  supplied  from  the  bountiful  hand  of 
my  heavenly  Father,  and  that  the  right  course  for 
me  was  to  seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  His 
righteousness.  From  that  day  I  never  touched  a  hoe 
on  Sunday,  and  I  have  been  so  blessed  in  regard  to 
externals  that  I  have  never  suffered  any  want. 

"  Some  time  afterwards  I  made  a  proposal  of  mar- ; 
riage  to  a  young  woman,  whom  I  had  known  as  one 
of  the  most  regular  attendants  at  the  services  in  Mr. 


80  ANCASS. 

Cooper's  house,  and  she  accepted  it.  My  master  and 
mistress  were  at  first  greatly  opposed  to  this  step,  but 
were  led  eventually  to  withdraw  their  prohibition, 
and  we  were  married  on  the  8th  of  June,  1826. 

"  A  few  months  afterwards  I  became  a  member  of 
the  Moravian  Church,  one  of  twelve,  who  at  that 
time  constituted  the  whole  congregation.  Many 
others,  however,  joined  the  church  at  Carmel,  and 
the  number  of  those  who  desired  to  cast  in  their  lot 
with  us  as  children  of  God,  increased  most  surpris- 
ingly from  week  to  week. 

"  The  office  of  native  helper,  to  which  I  was  soon 
afterwards  appointed,  gave  me  many  opportunities  of 
telling  others  "what  the  Lord  had  done  for  me,  and 
directing  them  to  the  same  Saviour. 

"  I  had  a  great  desire  to  purchase  my  freedom.  I 
went  to  my  master,  who  tried  to  persuade  me  to 
wait,  seeing  that  I  should  be  legally  emancipated  in 
three  years'  time.  My  longing  for  freedom  was,  how- 
ever, so  strong  that  I  remained  unmoved.  I  paid 
down  all-  my  savings,  and  was  soon  afterwards  able  to 
complete  the  required  sum,  and  my  certificate  of  free- 
dom was  signed.  O  how  full  my  heart  was  !  how 
overflowing  with  thanks  and  praise  to  God  !  This 
day  has  always  been  to  me  a  day  of  special  rejoicing 
and  thanksgiving.  It  was  the  1st  of  June,  1837. 

"  Subsequently  I  was  asked  by  several  gentlemen 
to  undertake  the  management  of  their  estates,  but  I 
declined,  not  wishing  to  fetter  myself  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  would  be  prejudicial  to  my  work  in  the  Lord's, 


A   STORM   AT    SEA.  81 

cause.  I  was  greatly  rejoiced  when  Brother  Zorn 
proposed  to  me  to  devote  my  time  entirely  to  the 
duties  of  a  native  helper,  receiving  £12  a  year  to 
provide  subsistence  for  myself  and  family.  I  pur- 
chased a  small  cottage  and  piece  of  ground,  and  here 
I  have  lived  ever  since  with  my  dear  wife  and  the 
only  daughter  whom  the  Lord  has  been  pleased  to 
give  us." 

Ancass  died  July,  1864. — English  Tract. 


A  STORM  AT  SEA. 

SOME  few  years  since,  a  minister  was  preaching  at 
Plymouth,  when  a  request  was  sent  to  the  pulpit  to 
this  effect :  "  The  thanksgiving  of  this  congrega- 
tion is  desired  to  Almighty  God,  by  the  captain, 
passengers,  and  crew  of  a  West  Indiaman,  for  their 
merciful  deliverance  during  the  late  tempest." 

The  following  day  the  minister  went  on  board,  and 
entered  into  conversation  with  the  passengers,  when  a 
lady  thus  addressed  him  :  "  O,  sir,  what  an  invalu- 
able blessing  is  personal  religion  !  Never  did  1  see 
it  so  exemplified  as  in  my  poor  Ellen  during  the 
storm.  When  we  expected  every  wave  to  entomb  us 
all,  my  mind  was  in  a  horrible  state — I  was  afraid  to 
die.  Ellen  would  come  to  me  and  say,  with  all  pos- 
sible composure :  '  Never  mind,  missie  ;  look  to 
Jesus  Christ.  He  made — lie  rule  the  sea.'  And 


82  A    STORM    AT    SEA. 

when  we  nearecl  the  shore,  and  were  at  a  loss  to  know 
where  we  were,  fearing  every  minute  to  strike  on  the 
rocks,  Ellen  said,  with  the  same  composure  as  before, 
'  Don't  fear,  missie  ;  look  to  Jesus  Christ — He  the 
Rock  ;  no  shipwreck  on  ifuit  Hock  /  He  save  to  the 
uttermost.  Don't  fear,  missie ;  look  to  Jesus 
Christ ! ' " 

The  minister  wished  to  see  this  poor,  though  rich 
African.  She  was  called,  and,  in  the  presence  of  the 
sailors,  the  following  conversation  took  place  : 

Minister.  *'  Well,  Ellen,  I  am  glad  to  find  you 
know  something  of  Jesus  Christ." 

Ellen.  "  Jesus  Christ,  massa !  Oh,  He  be  very 
good  to  my  soul !  Oh  !  He  be  very  dear  to  me." 

Minister.  "  How  long  since  you  first  knew  the 
Saviour  ?  " 

Ellen.  "Why,  some  time  ago  me  hear  Massa  Kitch- 
in  preach  about  the  blessed  Jesus.  He  say  to  us 
colored  people — the  Lord  Jesus  come  down  from  the 
good  world ;  He  pity  us  poor  sinners ;  we  die,  or  He 
die ;  lie  die,  but  we  no  die.  He  suffer  on  the  cross — 
He  spill  precious  blood  for  us.  poor  sinners.  Me  feel 
me  sinner ;  me  cry ;  me  pray  to  Jesus,  and  He  save 
me  by  His  precious  blood." 

Minister.  "  And  when  did  you  see  Mr.  Kitchin 
last?" 

Ellen.  "  Sir,  the  fever  take  him  ;  he  lie  bed ;  he 
call  us  his  children.  He  say,  '  Come  round  the  bed, 
my  children.'  He  then  say,  'My  children,  I  goto 
God  ^  meet  me  before  God ; '  and  then  he  fall  asleep." 


LITTLE   WA.  83 

Minister.  "  Oh,  then,  Mr.  Kitchin  is  dead,  is 
he?"' 

Ellen.  "  Dead,  sir  ?  oh,  no !  Mr.  Kitchin  no  die ; 
he  fall  asleep  in  Jesus.  He  has  gone  to  heaven." 


"LITTLE   WA." 

THERE  is  a  boy  of  tender  years  now  in  England, 
whose  story  beautifully  illustrates  the  loving  care  of 
God  for  an  afflicted  heathen  child.  He  is  the  son  of 
an  African  chief,  and  two  or  three  years  since  you 
might  have  seen  him  playing  about  his  father's  and 
mother's  yard — as  happy  as  the  day  was  long — no  kid 
frisked  so  merrily,  no  kitten  was  fuller  of  fun.  But 
"  little  Wa"  was  deaf  and  dumb,  and  soon  his  mother, 
"Ti  Bla,"  was  to  die,  and  then  his  father,  "  Ta 
Qwia,"  was  to  be  laid  by  her  side  under  the  palm- 
tree.  God  foreknew  this,  and  see  how  graciously  He 
provided  for  this  helpless  orphan. 

Little  Wa  was  very  fond  of  wandering  from  home  ; 
and  wherever  he  went,  whether  to  the  huts  of  the  na- 
tives or  the  houses  of  the  colonists,  he  was  a  great 
favorite,  and  everybody  treated  him  kindly.  He 
liked  to  sport  about  with  those  of  his  own  age,  and 
would  amuse  the  tribes  by  the  hour.  Often  he  catne 
to  the  mission  station,  and  the  missionary  got  quite 
attached  to  him,  and  encouraged  him  to  stay,  and 
gave  him  a  white  shirt — his  first  civilized  suit.  This 


84  LITTLE    WA. 

delighted  him,  and  kept  him  hovering  around  for  a 
week  together  :  then  off  he  trotted  to  the  town. 

O  ' 

By-and-by  he  reappeared  with  his  shirt  dirty,  and 
the  missionary  exchanged  it  for  a  clean  one.  "  He 
seemed  so  pleased  to  be  with  us,  and  was  such  a  good 
boy,"  says  the  missionary,  "  that  pitying  his  sad  case, 
I  thought  I  would  try  and  get  him  into  my  family." 
He  asked  his  father,  who  was  still  an  idolater,  if  he 
would  let  him  keep  him.  His  father  said,  "  Yes,  he 
might  keep  him  if  he  could."  He  meant  that  "  Wa  " 
was  such  a  gad-about  that  no  one  could  keep  him. 
However,  the  missionary  determined  to  try  it.  He 
had  some  new  clothes  made  for  him,  bound  with 
scarlet ;  he  set  him  a  stool  to  have  his  meals,  and  he 
had  his  own  plate  and  fork,  and  a  snug  corner  to 
sleep  in  at  night,  and  a  warm  blanket  to  wrap  him- 
self in. 

Now,  do  you  suppose  that  "  "Wa  "  stayed  with  the 
missionary,  or  that  he  ran  away  ?  He  stayed,  and 
he  grew  fonder  and  fonder  of  the  missionary  and  the 
missionary  of  him.  Whenever  he  ate  his  meals,  be- 
fore tasting  anything,  he  would  bend  his  head  and 
shut  his  eyes,  and  be  still,  as  if  he  was  saying  grace. 
So  also,  night  and  morning,  he  would  always  drop  on 
his  knees,  and  for  a  time  remain  in  the  attitude  of 
prayer.  Occasionally  he  would  go  into  the  school- 
room, and  sitting  beside  the  girls,  take  a  book,  and 
make  believe  that  he  was  studying  his  lessons.  The 
missionary  would  frequently  have  him  in  his  room, 
and  kneel  down  with  him,  and  pray  God  to  teach 


LITTLE   WA.  85 

him  by  His  Holy  Spirit,  and  deliver  him  from  all 
evil.  God  did  indeed  watch  over  him,  and  preserve 
him  from  danger,  to  which  he  was  exposed.  No  lion 
was  permitted  to  terrify  him ;  and  no  scorpion  or 
serpent  was  allowed  to  bite  his  bare  feet.  The  angels 
had  charge  of  him. 

When,  on  account  of  his  bad  health,  the  missionary 
had  to  leave  Africa  for  a  season,  he  much  desired  to 
bring  "  little  Wa  "  to  England  with  him.  He  had  a 
talk  with  his  father  (his  mother  was  now  dead)  about 
it.  He  told  him  what  Christian  people  had  done  in 
England  for  the  deaf  and  dumb,  what  attention  was 
paid  to  them,  and  how  they  were  taught  to  write  and 
read.  He  looked  very  serious,  and  shook  his  head. 
"  I  can't  let  him  go  ;  "  he  said,  "  I  let  his  brother, 
'  Wia,'  go  to  New  York,  and  he  is  buried  there.  1 
can't  let  '  Wa '  go."  But  when  he  assured  him  that 
England  had  a  milder  climate  than  New  York,  and 
that  he  would  be  a  parent  to  him,  and  that  it  was 
only  the  child's  welfare  he  sought,  "  Well,"  he  said, 
"  I  will  consider  it."  Shortly  after  he  called  and 
said,  "  Take  him ;  do  with  him  what  you  choose. 
He  is  yours."  So  the  missionary  began  at  once  to 
get  him  ready  for  sea.  He  was  fitted  with  red  and 
yellow  flannel  smocks  and  trousers ;  and  when  he  saw 
the  preparations,  and  knew  that  he  was  going,  he 
jumped  for  joy. 

At  length  the  steamer  hove  in  sight.  The  captain 
agreed  to  charge  a  shilling  a  day  for  the  "  coal  scut- 
tle," as  he  called  him.  So  he  was  brought  off  with 


86  LITTLE    WA. 

them  in  a  boat  through  the  surf,  and  he  bade  adieu  to 
the  scenes  of  his  infancy,  in  better  spirits  than  the 
missionary  did  ;  but  soon  the  rocking  of  the  ship  up- 
set him.  He  lay  down  sick  on  the  deck.  When  he 
recovered,  he  became  a  great  favorite  with  the  passen- 
gers and  crew.  He  had  a  wonderful  power  of 
mimicry,  and  he  amused  many  with  his  imitations. 
Now  he  would  act  as  he  saw  the  monkeys  or  the 
chimpanzee  act ;  now  he  would  mock  the  way  in 
which  the  gentlemen  walked  when  the  vessel  rolled  ; 
now  he  would  pretend  to  be  preaching ;  now  he  would 
dance  as  his  country  people  do ;  and  now,  when  a 
lady  would  be  moving  about  alone,  he  would  run  up 
to  her  and  offer  her  his  arm.  The  officers  would  feed 
him  with  good  things,  and  let  him  sleep  in  their 
state-rooms,  though  he  had  a  comfortable  box  of  his 
own. 

When  the  missionary  arrived  at  Liverpool,  "  little 
Wa"  was  an  object  of  curiosity  to  all.  His  dark 
skin  and  his  flaming-colored  dress  made  him  ridicu- 
lously conspicuous.  The  children  in  the  streets  fol- 
lowed him,  and  gathered  round  the  shop-doors  point- 
ing at  him  jeeringly ;  but  whenever  they  were  rude 
the  missionary  said  to  them,  "  He  is  deaf  and  dumb," 
and  then  they  would  say,  "  Poor  boy  !  poor  little 
fellow  !  "  You  may  be  sure  he  was  in  ecstasies  at 
the  sights,  such  as  he  had  never  even  dreamt  of.  Es- 
pecially he  noticed  the  horses,  and  tried  to  trot  as 
they  trot ;  and  the  sliders  on  the  ice,  and  when  one 
tumbled  down  he  was  convulsed  with  laughter.  I 


LITTLE   WA.  87 

have  had  him  at  my  table,  and  he  behaved  himself 
like  a  gentleman,  only  he  would  open  the  whole  plate 
of  sandwiches  to  see  which  had  least  mustard  on  it  j 
and  when  I  presented  him  with  a  pear,  he  wanted  to 
put  it  into  his  mouth  whole. 

It  was  decided  that  he  should  go  into  the  Bath 
Deaf  and  Dumb  Institution.  The  money,  a  large 
sum,  was  speedily  raised  by  the  ladies  of  Brighton. 
Far  and  wide  contributions  flowed  in.  "  Little  Wa  " 
was  loaded  with  presents  beside ;  indeed,  ladies  began 
to  be  so  kind  to  him  that  it  was  high  time  he  was  out 
of  the  way  of  being  spoiled.  News  of  his  father's 
death  reached  England  by  the  next  mail ;  so  now  the 
missionary  felt  that  "  little  Wa  "  was  wholly  his,  and 
he  took  him  to  Bath  without  any  further  doubt  as  to 
its  being  God's  will  for  him. 

Before  "  little  Wa  "  left  London,  he  stole  into  the 
missionary's  wife's  sick  chamber,  and  seeing  that 
several  persons  were  with  her,  he  sat  down  quietly 
until  they  withdrew,  then  he  quickly  touched  her ; 
and  then  raising  his  eyes,  he  clasped  his  hands,  and 
by  other  signs  gave  her  to  understand  that  he  wished 
her  to  pray  with  him.  She  did  so.  On  getting  up, 
he  looked  into  her  face  so  bright  and  satisfied,  and 
shook  her  hand  to  thank  her.  As  he  bade  her  good- 
bye, he  signified  that  after  two  days  and  two  nights 
he  would  come  back  to  her.  When  the  missionary 
was  leaving  him  at  the  Institution,  and  broke  the  in- 
telligence to  him  that  he  must  stay  there  a  long  while, 
"  little  Wa  "  was  downcast  for  a  moment,  but  he  did 


88  THE   AFRICAN    SERVANT. 

not   cry;    he   nodded   his    head   bravely,   and    stood 
watching  him  at  the  door  till  he  turned  the  corner. 

A  recent  letter  informed  us  that  at  first  he  showed 
considerable  self-will,  but  was  daily  improving.  If 
we  recollect  how  short  a  time  he  has  been  under  con- 
trol at  all,  we  cannot  but  wonder  that  the  wild  Afri- 
can is  as  tractable  as  he  is.  When  he  saw  the  hand- 
writing of  the  missionary  the  tears  started,  and  he 
pressed  the  envelope  to  his  lips. 

Now,  my  dear  young  readers,  does  not  this  narra- 
tive prove  that  God  thinks  of  children,  and  loves 
them,  and  cares  for  them  ?  He  is  busy  with  the  af- 
fairs of  the  universe,  and  yet  He  can  turn  from  them 
to  provide  for  a  heathen  mute.  He  dwells  in  the 
high  and  holy  place,  and  yet  He  can  stoop  to  be  a 
friend  to  the  fatherless  African  boy.  "Who  is  a  God 
like  unto  Him  ?  Oh,  give  your  heart  to  Him,  that 
you,  too,  may  have  His  wing  spread  over  you,  and  be 
able  to  confide  in  Him  for  whatever  you  want. 

May  "little  Wa's"  Almighty  protector  and  all- 
loving  provider  be  yours  ! —  TJie  Family  Treasury. 


THE  AFRICAN  SERVANT. 

DURING  a  residence  of  some  years'  continuance  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  sea,  an  officer  in  the  navy 
called  upon  me  and  stated  that  he  had  just  taken  a 
lodging  in  the  parish  for  his  wife  and  children,  and 


THE    AFRICAN    SERVANT.  89 

that  he  had   an   African  whom  he  had   kept  three 
years  in  his  service. 

"  Does  he  know  anything,"  I  asked,  "  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Christian  religion  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  am  sure  he  does,"  answered  the  captain  ; 
"  for  he  talks  a  great  deal  about  it  in  the  kitchen,  and 
often  gets  laughed  at  for  his  pains ;  but  he  takes  it 
all  very  patiently." 

"  Does  he  behave  well  as  your  servant  ?  " 

"  Yes,  that  he  does :  he  is  as  honest  and  civil  a 
fellow  as  ever  came  aboard  a  ship  or  lived  in  a  house." 

"  Was  he  always  so  well-behaved  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  the  officer ;  "  when  I  first  had  him  he 
was  often  veiy  unruly  and  deceitful ;  but  for  the  last 
two  years  he  has  been  quite  like  another  creature." 

"  Well,  sir,  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  see  him,  and 
think  it  probable  I  shall  wish  to  go  through  a  course 
of  instruction  and  examination.  Can  he  read  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  his  master ;  "  he  has  been  taking 
great  pains  to  learn  to  read  for  some  time  past,  and 
can  make  out  a  chapter  in  the  Bible  pretty  well,  as 
my  maid-servant  informs  me.  He  speaks  English 
better  than  many  of  his  countrymen,  but  you  will 
find  it  a  little  broken.  When  will  it  be  convenient 
that  I  should  send  him  over  to  yo\i?  " 

"  To-morrow  afternoon,  sir,  if  you  please." 

"  He  shall  come  to  you  about  four  o'clock,  and  you 
shall  see  what  you  can  make  of  him." 

With  this  promise  he  took  his  leave.  I  felt  glad 
to  see  him  the  next  day,  and  asked : 


90  THE    AFRICAN    SERVANT. 

"  Where  were  you  born  ?  " 

"  In  Africa.  I  was  very  little  boy  when  I  was 
made  slave  by  the  white  men." 

"  How  was  that  ?  " 

"  I  left  father  and  mother  one  day  at  home  to  go  to 
get  shells  by  the  sea-shore ;  and,  as  I  was  stooping 
down  to  gather  them  up,  some  white  sailors  came  out 
of  a  boat  and  took  me  away.  I  never  see  father  nor 
mother  again." 

"  And  what  became  of  you  then  ?  " 

"  I  was  put  into  ship  and  brought  to  Jamaica,  and 
sold  to  a  massa,  who  keep  me  in  his  house  to  serve 
him  some  years ;  when  about  three  years  ago,  Captain 

W ,  my  massa  that  spoke  to  you,  bought  me  to 

be  his  servant  on  board  his  ship.  And  he  be  good 
massa ;  and  I  live  with  him  ever  since." 

"  And  what  thoughts  had  you  about  your  soul  all 
that  -time  before  you  went  to  America  ? "  I  asked 
him. 

"  I  no  care  for  my  soul  at  all  before  then.  No 
man  teach  me  a  word  about  my  soul." 

"  Well,  now  tell  me  further  about  what  happened 
to  you  in  America.  How  came  you  there  ?  " 

"  My  massa  take  me  there  in  a  ship,  and  he  stop 
there  one  month  ;  and  then  I  hear  the  good  minister." 

"  And  what  did  that  minister  say  ?  " 

"  He  said  I  was  a  great  sinner." 

"  Did  he  speak  to  you  in  particular  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  think  so ;  for  there  was  a  great  many  to 
hear  him,  but  he  tell  them  all  about  me." 


THE    AFRICAN    SERVANT.  91 

"  What  did  he  say  ?  " 

"  He  say  all  about  the  things  that  were  in  my 
heart." 

"  Who  taught  you  to  read  ?  " 

"  God  teach  me  to  read." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  saying  so  ?  " 

"  God  gave  me  desire  to  read,  and  that  make  read- 
ing easy.  Massa  give  me  Bible,  and  one  sailor  show 
me  the  letter  ;  and  so  I  learn  to  read  by  myself  with 
God's  good  help." 

"  And  what  do  you  read  in  the  Bible?  " 

"Oh,  I  read  all  about  Jesus  Christ,  and  How  He 
loved  sinners ;  and  wicked  men  killed  him,  and  He 
died  and  came  again  from  the  grave,  and  all  this  for 
poor  negro.  And  it  sometime  make  me  cry  to  think 
that  Christ  love  me  so." 

Not  many  days  after  the  first  interview  with  my 
African  disciple,  I  went  from  home  on  horseback,- with 
the  design  of  visiting  and  conversing  with  him  again 
at  his  master's  house,  which  was  situated  in  a  part  of 
the  parish  near  four  miles  distant  from  my  own.  The 
road  which  I  took  lay  over  a  lofty  down  or  hill,  which 
commands  a  prospect  of  scenery  seldom  equalled  for 
beauty  and  magnificence.  It  gave  birth  to  silent,  but 
instructive  contemplation. 

As  I  pursued  the  meditations  which  this  magnifi- 
cent and  varied  scenery  excited  in  my  mind,  I  ap- 
proached the  edge  of  a  tremendous  perpendicular  cliff 
with  which  the  hill  terminates ;  I  dismounted  from 
my  horse  and  tied  him. 


92  THE    AFRICAN    SERVANT. 

I  cast  my  eye  downwards  a  little  to  the  left,  to- 
wards a  small  cove,  the  shore  of  which  consists  of  fine 
hard  sand.  It  is  surrounded  by  fragments  of  rock, 
chalk  cliffs,  and  steep  banks  of  broken  earth.  Shut 
out  from  human  intercourse  and  dwellings,  it  seems 
formed  for  retirement  and  contemplation.  On  one  of 
these  rocks  I  iinexpectedly  observed  a  man  sitting 
•with  a  book,  which  he  was  reading.  The  place  was 
near  two  hundred  yards  perpendicularly  below  me  : 
but  I  soon  discovered  by  his  dress,  and  by  the  color 
of  his  features,  contrasted  with  the  white  rocks  beside 
him,  that  it  was  no  other  than  my  African  disciple, 
with,  as  I  doubted  not,  a  Bible  in  his  hand.  I  re- 
joiced at  this  unlooked-for  opportunity  of  meeting 
him  in  so  solitary  and  interesting  a  situation.  I  de- 
scended a  steep  bank,  winding  by  a  kind  of  rude 
staircase,  formed  by  fishermen  and  shepherds1  boys,  in 
the  side  of  the  cliff  down  to  the  shore. 

He  was  intent  on  his  book,  and  did  not  perceive 
me  till  I  approached  very  near  to  him. 

"  William,  is  that  you  ?  " 

"  Ah,  massa,  I  very  glad  to  see  you.  How  came 
massa  into  this  place  ?  I  thought  nobody  here  but 
only  God  and  me." 

"  I  was  coming  to  your  master's  house  to  see 
you,  and  rode  round  by  this  way  for  the  sake  of 
the  prospect.  I  often  come  here  in  fine  weather 
to  look  at  the  sea  and  the  shipping.  Is  that  your 
Bible  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  this  is  my  dear,  good  Bible." 


THE    AFRICAN    SERVANT.  93 

"  I  am  glad,"  said  I,  "  to  see  you  so  well  employed  ; 
it  is  a  good  sign,  William." 

"  Yes,  massa,  a  sign  that  God  is  good  to  me  ;  but  I 
never  good  to  God." 

"How  so?" 

"  I  never  thank  Him  enough  ;  I  never  pray  to  Him 
enough  ;  I  never  remember  enough  who  give  me  all 
these  good  things.  Massa,  I  afraid  my  heart  very 
bad.  I  wish  I  was  like  you." 

"  Like  me,  William  ?  Why,  you  are  like  me,  a 
poor  helpless  sinner." 

"  Tell  me,  William,  is  not  that  very  sin  which  you 
speak  of,  a  burden  to  you  ?  You  do  not  love  it :  you 
would  be  glad  to  obtain  strength  against  it,  and  to  be 
freed  from  it,  would  you  not  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes ;  I  give  all  this  world,  if  I  had  it,  to  be 
without  sin." 

"  Come  then,  and  welcome,  to  Jesus  Christ,  my 
brother ;  His  blood  cleanseth  from  all  sin.  He  gave 
himself  as  a  ransom  for  sinners.  He  hath  borne  our 
griefs,  and  carried  our  sorrows.  He  was  wounded 
for  our  transgressions,  He  w-as  bruised  for  our  ini- 
quities ;  the  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon 
Him  ;  and  with  His  stripes  we  are  healed.  The  Lord 
hath  laid  on  Him  the  iniquity  of  us  all.  Come,  freely 
come  to  Jesus,  the  Saviour  of  sinners." 

"  Yes,  massa,"  said  the  poor  fellow,  weeping,  "  I 
will  come,  but  I  come  very  slow ;  very  slow,  massa ; 
I  want  to  run ;  I  want  to  fly.  Jesus  is  very  good  to 
poor  me  to  send  you  to  tell  me  all  this." 


94  THE    AFRICAN    SERVANT. 

I  was  much  pleased  with  the  affectionate  manner 
in  which  he  spoke  of  his  parents,  from  whom  lie  had 
been  stolen  in  his  childhood ;  and  his  wishes  that 
God  might  direct  them  by  some  means  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  Saviour. 

"  Who  knows,"  I  said,  "  but  some  of  these  ships 
may  be  carrying  a  missionary  to  the  country  where 
they  live,  to  declare  the  good  news  of  salvation  to 
your  countrymen,  and  to  your  own  dear  parents  in 
particular,  if  they  are  yet  alive." 

"  Oh,  my  dear  father  and  mother  ;  my  dear-,  gra- 
cious Saviour,"  exclaimed  he,  leaping  from  the  ground, 
as  he  spoke,  "  if  Thou  would  but  save  their  souls,  and 
tell  them  what  Thou  hast  done  for  sinners  ;  but — " 

He  stopped  and  seemed  much  affected. 

"  My  friend,"  said  I,  "  I  will  now  pray  with  you 
for  your  own  soul,  and  those  of  your  parents  also." 

"  Do,  massa,  that  is  very  good  and  kind  ;  do  pray 
for  poor  negro  souls  here  and  everywhere." 

This  was  a  new  and  solemn  "  house  of  prayer." 
The  sea-sand  was  our  floor,  the  heavens  were  our  roof. 
The  cliffs,  the  rocks,  the  hills,  and  the  waves,  formed 
the  walls  of  our  chamber.  It  was  not  indeed  a  "  place 
where  prayer  was  wont  to  be  made,"  but  for  this  once 
it  became  a  hallowed  spot ;  it  will  by  me  ever  be  re- 
membered as  such.  The  presence  of  God  was  there. 
I  prayed.  The  African  wept.  His  heart  was  full.  I 
'elt  with  him,  and  could  not  but  weep  likewise. 

The  last  day  will  show  whether  our  tears  were  not 
the  tears  of  sincerity  and  Christian  love. 


THE   AFRICAN    SERVANT.  '95 

I  had,  for  a  considerable  time,  been  accustomed  to 
meet  some  serious  persons  once  a  week,  in  a  cottage 
at  no  great  distance  from  the  house  where  he  lived, 
for  the  purpose  of  religious  conversation,  instruction, 
and  prayer.  Having  found  these  occasions  remark- 
ably useful  and  interesting  to  myself  and  others,  I 
thought  it  would  be  very  desirable  to  take  the  African 
there,  in  order  that  there  might  be  many  witnesses  to 
the  simplicity  and  sincerity  of  real  Christianity,  as 
exhibited  in  the  character  of  this  promising  young 
convert.  I  hoped  it  might  prove  an  eminent  means 
of  grace  to  excite  and  quicken  the  spirit  of  prayer  and 
praise  among  some  over  whose  spiritual  progress  I 
was  anxiously  watching. 

It  was  known  that  the  African  was  to  visit  the 
little  society  this  evening,  and  satisfaction  beamed  in 
every  countenance  as  I  took  him  by  the  hand  and  in- 
troduced him  among  them,  saying,  "  I  have  brought  a 
brother  from  Africa  to  see  you,  my  friends.  Bid  him 
welcome  in  the  name  of  the  Lord." 

"  Sir,"  said  a  humble  and  pious  laborer,  whose 
heart  and  tongue  always  overflowed  with  Christian 
kindness,  "  we  are  at  all  times  glad  to  see  our  dear 
minister,  but  especially  so  to-day,  in  such  company 
as  you  have  brought  with  you.  We  have  heard  how 
gracious  the  Lord  has  been  to  him.  Give  me  your 
hand,  good  friend,"  turning  to  the  African  ;  "  God  be 
with  you  here  and  everywhere  ;  and  blessed  be  His  holy 
name  for  calling  wicked  sinners,  as  I  hope  He  lias  done 
you  and  me,  to  love  and  serve  Him  for  His  mercy's  sake." 


96  THE    AFRICAN    SEKVAKT. 

Each  one  greeted  him  as  he  came  into  the  house, 
and  some  addressed  him  in  very  kind  and  impressive 
language. 

"  Massa,"  said  he,  "  I  not  know  what  to  say  to  all 
these  good  friends;  1  think  this  looks  like  little 
heaven  upon  earth." 

He  then,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  which,  almost  be- 
fore he  spoke,  brought  responsive  drops  into  those  of 
all  present,  said  : 

"  Good  friends  and  brethren  in  Christ  Jesus,  God 
bless  you  all,  and  bring  you  to  heaven  at  last." 

After  some  time  passed  in  more  general  conversa- 
tion on  the  subject  of  the  African's  history,  I  said, 
"  Let  us  now  praise  God  for  the  rich  and  unspeak- 
able gift  of  His  grace,  and  sing  the  hymn  of  '  redeem- 
ing love,' 

"  '  Now  begin  the  heavenly  theme, 
Sing  aloud  in  Jesus'  name,'  "  etc. 

which  was  accordingly  done.  Whatever  might  be  the 
merit  of  the  natural  voices,  it  was  plain  there  was 
melody  in  all  their  hearts. 

The  African  was  not  much  used  to  our  way  of  sing- 
ing, yet  joined  with  great  earnestness  and  affection, 
•which  showed  how  truly  he  felt  what  was  uttered. 
When  the  fifth  verse  was  ended — 

"  Nothing  brought  Him  from  above, 
Nothing  but  redeeming  love  " — 

he  repeated  the  words,  almost  unconscious  where  ho 
•was. 


THE    BLIND    SLAVE    IN   THE   MINES.  97 

"  No,  nothing,  nothing  but  redeeming  love  bring 
Him  down  to  poor  William ;  nothing  but  redeeming 
love." 

The  following  verses  were  added,  and  sung  by  way 
of  conclusion : 

See,  a  stranger  comes  to  view  ; 
Though  he's  black,  he's  comely  too  : 
Come  to  join  the  choirs  above, 
Singing  of  redeeming  love. 

Welcome,  brother,  welcome  here, 
Banish  doubt,  and  banish  fear ; 
You,  who  Christ's  salvation  prove, 
Praise  and  bless  redeeming  love. 

— Abridged  f ram  Legh  Richmond. 


THE  BLIND  SLAVE  IN  THE  MINES. 

WITH  a  companion  I  had  descended  a  thousand 
feet  perpendicularly,  beneath  the  earth's  surface,  into 
one  of  the  coal  mines  of  East  Virginia,  called  the  Mid- 
Lothian  pit.  As  we  were  wandering  through  its  dark 
passages — numerous  and  extensive  enough  to  form  a 
subterranean  city — the  sound  of  music  at  a  little  dis- 
tance caught  our  ears.  It  ceased  upon  our  approach ; 
but  we  perceived  that  it  was  sacred  music,  and  we 
heard  the  concluding  sentiment  of  the  hymn,  "  I  shall 
be  in  heaven  in  the  morning." 


98     .  THE    BLIND    SLAVE    IN    THE    MINES. 

On  advancing  with  our  lamps  we  found  the  passage 
closed  by  a  door,  in  order  to  give  a  different  direction 
to  the  currents  of  air  for  the  purpose  of  ventilation  ; 
yet  this  door  must  be  opened  occasionally  to  let  the 
rail-cars  pass,  loaded  with  coal.  And  to  accomplish 
this  we  found  sitting  by  that  door  an  aged  blind  slave, 
whose  eyes  had  been  entirely  destroyed  by  a  blast  of 
gunpowder  many  years  before,  in  that  mine.  There 
he  sat,  on  a  seat  cut  in  the  coal,  from  sunrise  to  sun- 
set, day  after  day ;  his  sole  business  being  to 
open  and  shut  the  door  when  he  heard  the  rail-cars 
approaching.  We  requested  him  to  sing  again  the 
hymn  whose  last  line  we  had  heard.  It  was,  indeed, 
lame  in  expression,  and  in  poetic  measure  very  defec- 
tive, being  in  fact  one  of  those  productions  which  we 
found  the  pious  slaves  were  in  the  habit  of  singing, 
in  part  at  least,  impromptu.  But  each  stanza  closed 
with  the  sentiment,  "  I  shall  be  in  heaven  in  the 
morning." 

It  was  sung  with  a  clear  and  pleasant  voice,  and  I 
could  see  the  shrivelled,  sightless  eyeballs  of  the  old 
man  rolling  in  their  sockets,  as  if  his  soul  felt  the  in- 
spiring sentiments ;  and  really  the  exhibition  was  one 
of  the  most  affecting  that  I  have  ever  witnessed. 
There  he  stood,  an  old  man,  whose  earthly  hopes,  even 
at  the  best,  must  be  very  faint — and  he  was  a  slave — 
and  he  was  blind — what  could  he  hope  for  on  earth  ? 
He  was  buried,  too,  a  thousand  feet  beneath  the  solid 
rocks.  In  the  expressive  language  of  Jonah,  he  had 
"gone  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  mountains;  the 


THE    BLIND    SLAVE    IN    THE    MINES.  99 

earth  with  her  bars  was  about  him  for  ever."  There, 
from  month  to  month,  he  sat  in  total  darkness. 

I  would  add,  that  on  inquiry  of  the  pious  slaves  en- 
gaged in  these  mines,  I  found  that  the  blind  old  man 
had  a  fair  reputation  for  piety,  and  that  it  was  not 
till  the  loss  of  his  eyes  that  he  was  led  to  the  Saviour. 
It  may  be  that  the  destruction  of  his  natural  vision, 
was  the  necessary  means  of  opening  the  eye  of  faith 
within  his  soul.  And  though  we  should  shudder  at 
the  thought  of  exchanging  conditions  with  him  on. 
earth,  yet  who  can  say  but  his  peculiar  and  deep  tribu- 
lation here  may  prepare  his  soul  for  a  distinction  in 
glory  which  we  might  covet.  Oh,  how  much  better  to 
endure  even  his  deep  degradation  and  privations, 
sustained  by  his  hopes,  than  to  partake  of  their 
fortune  who  live  in  luxury  and  pleasure,  or  riot  in 
wealth  ! 

The  scene  which  I  have  now  described  affords  a 
most  animating  lesson  of  encouragement  to  the  tried 
and  the  afflicted,  and  of  reproof  to  the  complaining 
and  discontented. 

Suppose  health  does  fail  us,  and  poverty  oppress 
us,  and  our  friends  forsake  us,  and  our  best  laid  plans 
prove  abortive,  so  that  a  dark  cloud  settles  upon  our 
worldly  prospects — who  of  us  is  reduced  so  low  as  to 
be  willing  to  change  places  with  this  poor  slave?  And 
yet  he  is  able  to  keep  his  spirits  buoyant  by  the  single 
hope  of  future  glory.  He  thinks  of  a  morning  that 
is  to  come,  when  even  his  deep  and  dreadful  darkness 
shall  pass  away ;  and  the  thought  has  a  magic  power 


100       THE  AFRICAN  SERVANT'S  PRAYER. 

to  sustain  him.  If  we  are  Christians,  shall  not  that 
same  hope  chase  away  our  despondency,  and  nerve  us 
to  bear  cheerfully  those  trials  which  are  far  inferior 
to  his? 


THE  AFRICAN  SERVANT'S  PRAYER. 

I  WAS  a  helpless  negro  boy, 

And  wandered  on  the  shore ; 
Men  took  me  from  my  parents'  arms, 

I  never  saw  them  more. 

But  yet  my  lot,  which  seemed  so  hard, 

Quite  otherwise  did  prove  ; 
For  I  was  carried  far  from  home, 

To  learn  a  Saviour's  love. 

Poor  and  despised  though  I  was, 

Yet  Thou,  O  God,  wast  nigh  ; 
And  when  Thy  mercy  first  I  saw, 

Sure  none  so  glad  as  I. 

And  if  Thy  Son  hath  made  me  free, 

Then  am  I  free  indeed  ; 
My  soul  is  rescued  from  its  chains  ; 

For  this  did  Jesus  bleed. 

Oh,  send  Thy  word  to  that  far  land 

Where  none  but  negroes  live  ; 
Teach  them  the  way,  the  truth,  the  life  ; 

Thy  grace,  Thy  blessing  give. 


ANECDOTE.  101 

Oh,  that  my  father,  mother,  dear, 

Might  there  Thy  mercy  see  ; 
Tell  them  what  Christ  has  done  for  them, 

What  Christ  has  done  for  me. 

Whose  God  is  like  the  Christian's  God  ? 

Who  can  with  Him  compare  ? 
He  has  compassion  on  my  soul, 

And  hears  a  negro's  prayer. 


ANECDOTE. 

A  WORTHY  old  colored  woman  in  the  city  of  New 
York  was  one  day  walking  along  the  street  on  some 
errand  to  a  neighboring  store,  with  her  tobacco-pipe 
in  her  mouth,  quietly  smoking.  A  sailor,  rendered 
mischievous  by  liquor,  came  down  the  street,  and  when 
opposite  Phillis,  crowded  her  aside,  and  with  a  wave 
of  his  hand  knocked  her  pipe  out  of  her  mouth.  He 
then  halted  to  hear  her  fret  at  his  trick,  and  to  enjoy 
a  laugh  at  her.  But  what  was  his  astonishment  when 
she  meekly  picked  up  the  pieces  of  her  broken  pipe, 
without  the  least  resentment  in  her  manner,  and  giv- 
ing him  a  look  of  mingled  sorrow,  kindness,  and  pity, 
said  :  "  God  forgive  my  son,  as  I  do."  It  touched 
a  tender  part  of  the  young  sailor's  heart ;  he  felt 
ashamed  and  repented  ;  the  tears  started  in  his  eyes. 
He  confessed  his  error,  and  thrusting  both  hands  into 
his  two  full  pockets  of  change,  forced  her  to  take  the 


102  A    LITTLE    ACT    OF    KINDNESS. 

hanclfuls  of  money,  saying :     "  God  bless  you,  kind 
mother,  I'll  never  do  so  again." 


A  LITTLE  ACT  OF  KINDNESS. 

ONE  dull  night  I  sat  by  my  window  watching  the 
people  as  they  passed  to  and  from  the  market.  The 
wind  blew  hard,  and  the  rain  was  beginning  to  patter 
against  the  window  panes,  and  make  large  drops  on 
the  pavement. 

Soon  I  noticed  two  little  colored  girls  hurrying  past 
with  an  empty  basket,  and  I  heard  one  of  them  say  : 
"Oh,  be  quick,  for  it  is  going  to  rain  hard,  and  the 
chips  will  all  be  wet." 

"  Yes,  I'm  coming  in  a  minute,"  said  the  other, 
who  lingered  behind — for  what  purpose,  do  you 
think  ? 

Leaning  against  the  lamp-post  at  the  corner  of  the 
street  was  a  poor  old  woman,  bent  with  age  and  in- 
firmities. In  one  hand  Avas  her  mai'ket-basket,  in  the 
other  a  bundle,  and  she  was  trying  to  open  an  um- 
brella. The  wind  blew  against  her,  the  bundle  slipped 
from  her  poor  old  fingers,  rolling  into  the  gutter,  and 
the  umbrella  would  not  come  open. 

But  the  quick  feet  and  fingers  of  this  little  girl 
soon  set  things  all  right.  First  she  hastened  to  res- 
cue the  bundle,  and  restore  it  to  its  owner;  then 
opened  the  umbrella  and  placed  it  secm-ely  in  the 


OLD    SUSAN.  103 

old  woman's  hands.  She  waited  for  no  more — hast- 
ening on  after  her  companion  ;  but,  amid  the  falling 
rain,  I  heard  the  old  woman  say,  "  God  bless  you,  my 
child !  " 

Ah  !  it  was  a  little  deed,  but  done  so  cheerfully 
and  quickly  that  I  knew  the  child  had  a  kind  heart. 
Was  the  act  not  seen  and  noticed  by  our  Father  in 
heaven,  and  will  He  not  bless  the  child  who  helps  the 
aged  and  infirm? 

Dear  little  ones,  do  not  let  one  chance  of  helping 
another,  or  of  doing  good,  pass  by. 

If  your  eyes  are  open,  you  will  see  these  opportu- 
nities every  day,  and  oh,  how  happy  you  may  make 
your  own  heart,  and  the  heart  of  some  other,  while 
your  dear  Father  iu  heaven  will  smile  upon  your 
efforts. — Angel  of  Peace. 


OLD   SUSAN. 

BY    GERTBUDE    L.    VANDERBILT. 

"  BLESS  de  Lord,  I'm  pretty  well,  and  granny's  no 
wuss."  I  heard  the  voice  below  my  window  just  as 
the  dawn  of  a  bright  summer  day  was  coloring  the 
eastern  horizon.  Then  another  question  was  asked  by 
the  cook  below,  as  she  threw  open  the  shutters,  but  I 
could  only  hear  old  Susan's  reply :  "  No,  I  can't . 
come  in  ;  I'm  up  so  airly  to  look  for  wood  to  bile  the 
kittle.  Granny'll  be  a-wantin'  breakfast." 


104  OLD    SUSAX. 

\ 

Soon  after  I  saw  the  poor  old  woman  bent  almost 
double  with  the  weight  of  fagots  on  her  back,  and  her 
check  apron  tilled  with  chips  and  corn-cobs  from  the 
wood-yard.  I  raised  the  sash,  and  called  her : 

"  Aunt  Susan,  do  come  in  !  Flora  will  get  your 
breakfast,  and  you  can  take  some  home  with  you  for 
granny,"  said  I. 

She  lowered  the  bundle  of  fagots  from  her  shoulders, 
and  pushed  back  the  long  gingham  sun-bonnet,  as  she 
looked  up  at  my  window. 

"  Bless  yer  heart,  chile,  but  I  couldn't — wo'uldn't !  " 
She  shook  her  head  very  decidedly,  and  adjusted  the 
red  bandana  turban  which  bad  been  crushed  down  by 
the  sun-bonnet.  "  Ye  see,  me  and  granny  ain't  had 
fambly  prayers  yit  this  morning.  That's  it ;  obliged 
to  yer  jes'  the  same." 

I  suggested  that  our  Heavenly  Father  would  not 
reject  prayers  that  were  offered  after  breakfast.  She 
looked  up  at  me  as  I  leaned  from  the  window  to  catch 
the  glory  of  the  sunrise,  and  said,  with  rather  a  touch 
of  sadness  in  her  tone  : 

"  No,  chile,  yer  hadn't  oughter  think  so.  De  Lord 
fust,  an'  everything  else  afterwards.  Ef  ye  eat,  or  ef 
ye  drink,  do  it  all  to  de  glory  of  God  ;  but  it  tain't 
ter  His  glory  ef  yer  please  yerself  fust.  I'll  be  round 
bieniby  ;  then  we  'splain  the  matter  together."  And 
reloading  her  tired  shoulders,  she  tottered  off  under 
her  burden. 

This  poor  colored  woman,  bent  down  by  her  seventy 
years  of  sickness,  and  poverty,  and  hard  work,  and 


OLD    SUSAW.         »  105 

constant  care,  had  a  conscience  so  tender  that  nothing 
could  have  induced  her  to  partake  of  the  proffered 
meal  before  she  had  offered  up  her  morning  prayer, 
lest  the  act  might  seem  like  want  of  reverence  and 
respect. 

This  was  not  an  occasional  spasmodic  outburst  of 
piety  ;  she  seemed  always  anxious  to  talk  about  God, 
and,  as  she  could  not  read  herself,  to  hear  others  read 
about  Him.  I  never  knew  one  who  seemed  to  be  in 
such  constant,  and  close  communion  with  God.  In 
my  visits  among  the  poor,  I  remember  calling  at  her 
door  one  day,  and  being  obliged  to  wait  some  time 
after  knocking,  although  I  heard  her  voice  within.  I 
was  surprised  that  she  should  keep  me  waiting,  for 
she  had  such  a  delicate  sense  of  the  duties  of  hospi- 
tality that  she  was  particularly  careful  never  to  oblige 
a  visitor  to  remain  standing  at  her  door.  I  soon  dis- 
covered that  she  was  engaged  in  prayer  ;  one  greater 
than  any  earthly  guest  was  with  her ;  it  almost  seemed 
as  if  she  pleaded  before  one  who  was  visibly  present. 
She  waited  and  wept,  she  urged,  entreated,  and 
earnestly  pleaded ;  then  gradually  her  tone  changed, 
and  her  voice  rose  in  prayer  and  loud  hallehijahs, 
and  then  she  was  silent.  I  knocked  once  more,  and 
hastily  now  she  threw  open  the  door ;  the  traces  of 
tears  were  still  on  her  cheeks,  and  in  her  poor,  dim 
eyes. 

"  Welcome,  welcome  !  "  she  exclaimed  :  "  come  in. 
De  Lord's  bin  wid  me  dis  day.  Praise  and  bless  His 
holy  name.  I'se  had  sich  a  blessed  time." 


106  OLD    SUSAN .- 

Then  she  dusted  the  only  spare  seat  her  poor  room 
afforded,  and  placed  it  so  that  as  she  seated  herself 
upon  her  bed  she  should  face  me. 

"  Oh,  chile  !  "  she  exclaimed ;  "  de  prayers  dat's 
gone  up  from  dis  poor  shanty  for  you  and  de  Sunday 
school !  Dey's  gone  right  up  from  dis  poor,  low, 
mean  place,  right  up  through  dis  old  roof,  straight  up 
to  de  great  white  throne  ! "  And  she  clasped  her 
hands  and  looked  up  as  if  she  saw  the  vision  beyond. 
"  God's  holy  angels  has  heard  'em,  Jesus's  listened  to 
'em,  and  God's  treasured  'em  up,  and  dey'll  come  down 
in  blessin's  when  old  Susan's  dead  and  gone.  When 
I  gits  rid  of  dis  mis'able,  sickly  body,  and  rises  up  to 
where  my  prayer's  gone  before  me,  oh,  how  I'll  sing 
wid  de  holy  angels,  praise  de  Lord,  praise  de  Lord  !  " 

She  used  to  go  off  in  these  rhapsodies  frequently ; 
she  had  dull  prosaic  neighbors,  who  never  got  excited 
over  praise  or  anything  else,  and  they  used  to  say  that 
old  Susan  was  crazy  when  she  prayed.  In  alluding 
to  this  she  once  told  me,  smiling,  that  she  was  going 
to  ask  the  Lord  to  make  them  crazy  in  prayer.  She 
thought  a  little  more  earnestness  on  the  subject  would 
be  an  inprovement.  Her  faith  was  so  strong  that  it 
seemed  to  have  an  element  of  sublimity  in  it ;  it  was 
grand  !  The  extreme  poverty  in  which  she  lived,  and 
her  reliance  upon  others  for  every  comfort  in  life, 
made  her  realize  her  dependence  upon  oiir  Father  in 
heaven  more  strongly  than  those  who  live  in  ease  and 
luxury.  She  has  often  said  to%  me,  I  am  poor  and 
sick,  broken  down  with  hard  work,  crooked  and  bent 


OLD    SUSAN.  107 

with  rheumatism,  my  wrists  are  so  weak,  and  my 
fingers  so  stiff,  that  I  can  hardly  pick  up  chips ;  boys 
often  laugh  at  me  in  the  street,  because  when  I  bend 
down  I  cannot  always  get  up  again ;  sometimes  my 
fire  goes  out,  and  I  have  nothing  to  eat  until  the 
Lord  sends  some  kind  friend  with  food.  But  bless 
the  Lord  I  am  going  home.  The  Lord  is  my  Father, 
and  in  my  Father's  house  there  is  plenty  ;  more  than 
enough.  Oh,  when  I  get  home  !  Dear  Lord,  dear 
Lord  !  When  I  shall  reach  my  home,  I  shall  forget 
all  the  troubles  I  have  had  in  this  poor  shanty. 
Looking  at  her  in  her  poor  room,  I  have  often 
thought  that  if  possible,  heaven  would  seem  more 
glorious  to  her,  coming  out  of  distress  and  misery, 
sickness  and  want,  darkness  and  cold,  into  the  full 
blaze  of  heavenly  light. 

She  was  very  grateful  to  those  who  paid  her  rent. 
Of  one  lady  in  particular,  she  often  spoke  to  me  with 
great  affection.  She  said  to  me  once,  naming  this 
lady  :  "  She  is  to  be  paid  back  every  cent."  It  was 
spoken  with  so  much  earnestness  that  I  involuntarily 
looked  around  as  if  I  expected  to  see  some  one  standing 
there  with  the  money.  She  smiled,  and  told  me  she 
had  been  reminding  God  of  His  promise  to  pay  her 
debts. 

I  once  called  on  passing,  to  leave  some  dinner  for 
her,  she  met  me  at  the  door,  and  insisted  on  my  com- 
ing in.  "  I  know'd  you  was  a  comin',''  she  said,  "  for 
I  had  nothin'  t'eat,  and  I  prayed  de  Lord  ter  send  me 
Boruethin'." 


108  •          OLD    SUSAN. 

"  Well,"  I  replied,  "  He  has  heard  your  prayer,  and 
has  sent  this  to  you." 

She  placed  the  dish  on  her  stove  to  keep  warm,  and 
then  she  began  to  talk  of  prayer.  "  I  does  pray  fur 
you,"  she  said,  "  and  fur  Mr.  and  Mrs.  L.,  and  Miss 
C.  I  prays  fur  all  de  world,  but  the  Lord  lets  us 
choose  out  those  who's  good  to  us,  and  pray  fur  them 
most  of  all.  Mr.  L.  has  been  so  good,  so  good  to  me, 
never  gettin'  tired  of  being  good  to  me,  oh,  I  do  pray 
fur  him  !  "  She  paused,  and  sat  thinking  a  moment, 
and  then  added  :  "  When  Aunt  Susan  stops  a  prayin', 
she'll  be  cold  and  dead." 

"  Aunt  Susan  "  was  by  no  means  a  gloomy  Christian, 
she  had  a  sense  of  humor,  and  was  often  very  quick- 
witted in  reply. 

During  those  terrible  riots  in  New  York,  in  which 
so  many  of  her  race  fell  victims  to  the  mob,  she  fled 
to  her  white  friends  for  protection.  Some  time  after 
this,  when  she  was  speaking  of  her  faith  and  her  trust 
in  the  Lord,  an  Irish  Roman  Catholic  taunted  her 
with  having  failed  to  trust  in  the  Lord  at  that  time. 
Her  reply  was  very  characteristic.  "  Did  you  ever 
read  in  the  Old  Testament  of  a  man  named  Lot  ?  " 
she  asked.  "  Well,  Lot  showed  his  faith  by  running 
away,  and  so  did  Aunt  Susan  !  "  In  relating  to  me 
this  story,  she  laughed  very  heartily,  and  concluded 
by  saying :  "  Yer  see  as  I  understand  it,  Lot  showed 
his  faith  by  leavin'  his  home  and  flyin'  accordin'  to 
the  command  of-der  Lord,  and  Aunt  Susan  did  jes  de 
same,  fur  I  showed  my  faith  by  usin'  de  means  de 


OLD    SUSAN.  109 

Lord  hed  appinted,  and  not  temptin'  de  Lord  by 
stayin'  behind.  Jes  so." 

Old  Susan's  "  family  "  consisted  of  her  aged  mother, 
at  that  time  in  her  hundred  and  first  year,  her  dog 
Prince,  her  cat  Tom,  her  hen  Toby  ;  a  more  aged  and 
decrepit  family  were  surely  never  before  gathered 
under  one  roof.  If  I  had  been  told  that  old  Dinah's 
age  was  a  hundred  and  twenty,  from  appearances  I 
should  have  been  inclined  to  believe  it.  Smoking  was 
the  sole  recreation  which  years  had  left  her.  Susan 
would  fill  her  pipe  at  intervals  during  the  day,  and 
after  using  it,  Dinah  would  sit  gazing  vacantly  around 
her  until  it  was  refilled  and  placed  in  her  hand.  The 
dog,  proportionately  to  canine  years,  had  reached  an 
equally  advanced  age  with  his  mistress,  and  his  scabby 
back  gave  him  the  appearance  of  having  been  eaten 
by  moth.  The  cat  and  the  hen  had  reached  a  greater 
age  than  the  time  tisually  allotted  to  their  species  ; 
each  would  sit  for  hours  perfectly  motionless  on  the 
door-step,  as  if  musing  on  the  singing  and  exhorting 
they  were  constantly  hearing  within  the  house  from 
their  old  mistress.  Susan  was  very  fond  of  animals, 
and  seemed  to  have  a  curious  power  in  taming  and 
controlling  them.  I  once  told  her,  that  had  she  lived 
earlier,  she  might  have  been  taken  up  for  a  witch, 
with  Tom  and  Toby  as  her  familiar  spirits. 

Old  Susan's  faith  led  her  to  believe  that  she  could 
see  the  hand  of  God  in  even  the  most  trifling  events 
of  life,  and  that,  as  He  was  leading  her,  and  teaching 
her  through:  these  means,  she  should  be  ever  on  the 


110  OLD    SUSAS. 

watch,  so  as  not  to  lose  the  lessons  His  providence 
set  in  her  way.  She  came  to  rne  one  day  with  the 
utmost  gravity,  to  tell  me  of  a  lesson  in  resignation. 
This  pet  dog,  through  soaie  inadvertence,  had  eaten  a 
portion  prepared  for  rats  ;  her  tender  heart  was  much 
troubled  by  the  suffering  so  carelessly  inflicted.  Just 
before  extinguishing  her  light  at  night,  she  turned  to 
Dinah  and — to  let  her  tell  her  own  story,  as  she  told  it 
to  me  :  "  Sez  I,  granny,  look  yer  last  on  poor  Prince, 
fur  you'll  never  see  him  alive  no  more.  Then  it 
kinder  struck  me  that  I  wasn't  resigned,  so  I  kneels 
down,  and  saz  I,  '  O  dear  Lord,  he's  bin  a  faithful 
dog  to  me.  He's  watched  over  my  things  many  a 
day  when  I  was  out  a  beggin'  for  daily  bread ;  he's 
bin  very  faithful,  but  I  gin  him  up  to  de  Lord.  If 
de  Lord  says  his  time's  out,  I  gin  him  up.  I's  re- 
signed.' Next  momin'  I  opens  de  winders,  an'  be- 
hold, dere's  Prince,  jis  as  well  as  ever !  Sez  I, 
granny,  de  Lord  has  gin  him  back  to  me.  He  was  jis 
a  tryin'  my  faith  !  His  will  is  the  best  fur  us  all,  ye 
mus  larn  dat,  granny,  dat's  the  lesson  from  dis  provi- 
dence." 

Old  Susan  still  lives,  but  her  faculties  seem  gradu- 
ally failing,  while  life  yet  retains  hold  in  her  weak 
frame.  She  is  helpless,  poor,  and  old.  While  earthly 
matters  seem  fading  out  of  her  memory,  her  thoughts 
still  cling  to  things  above.  In  my  last  tract-distri- 
buting visit  to  her  room,  I  found  her  holding  an  open 
Testament,  with  the  leaf  folded  down  at  the  fourteenth 
chapter  of  St.  John's  Gospel.  She  cannot  read,  but 


POOR    SARAH.  Ill 

sho  sat  pathetically  looking  at  the  text.  As  I  entered, 
she  exclaimed  :  "  Oh,  read  it,  read  it,  for  me  !  "  It 
seemed  as  if  her  faith,  so  sorely  tried  by  her  long 
waiting,  and  her  earthly  sufferings,  was  for  a  moment 
wavering.  As  I  slowly  and  distinctly  read  the  words, 
"  In  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions,"  etc.,  the 
glimmering  rays  rekindled,  her  faith  re-asserted  itself. 
"  Yes,  yes !  "  she  exclaimed,  "  I  knew  it  was  so,  I 
knew  it  was  written  somewhere  there ;  now  I  re- 
member it.  I'll  yet  have  a  home  in  my  Father's 
house."  As  I  looked  at  the  poor,  worn-out  frame ; 
the  weak,  helpless  hands ;  the  wrinkled  face,  and  the 
dim  eyes,  my  faith  could  see  through  these  the  glori- 
ous spirit  that  should  one  day  arise  and  take  its  up- 
ward flight  towards  the  heavenly  mansions. 


POOR  SARAH; 

Or,  Religion  Exemplified  in  the  Life  and  Death  of  a  Pious 
Indian   Woman. 

The  subject  of  the  following  narrative  lived  and  died  in  a 
town  in  the  eastern  part  of  Connecticut.  We  are  well 
acquainted  with  the  writer,  and  we  can  assure  oar  readers 
that  the  account  here  given  is  true. — Editor  of  the  Reli- 
gious Intelligencer. 

IT  was  a  comfortless  morning  in  the  month  of 
March,  1814,  when  I  first  formed  an  acquaintance 
with  the  subject  of  the  following  sketch. 


112  POOR    SARAH. 

She  called  to  solicit  a  few  crusts,  meekly  saying  she 
"deserved  nothing  but  the  crumbs — they  were  enough 
for  her  poor  old  body,  just  ready  to  crumble  into 
dust."  I  had  heard  of  Sarah,  a  pious  Indian 
woman,  and  I  was  therefore  prepared  to  receive  her 
with  kindness.  And  remembering  the  words  of  my 
Lord,  who  said,  "  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto 
one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it 
unto  me,"  I  was  ready  to  impart  a  portion  of  my  little 
unto  her  (for  little,  alas  !  was  my  store). 

"  And  how,"  I  asked  her,  "  have  you  got  along,  this 
long,  cold  winter,  Sarah  ?  "  O  misse,"  she  replied, 
"  God  better  to  Sarah  than  she  fear.  When  winter 
come  on,  Sarah  was  in  great  doubt.  No  husband,  no 
child  here  but  one  ;  she  wicked,  gone  a  great  deal. 
What  if  great  snow  come?  What  if  fire  go  out? 
Nabor  great  way  off.  What  if  sick  all  'lone? 
What  if  I  die  ?  Nobody  know  it. 

"  While  I  think  so,  in  my  heart,  then  I  cry  :  while 
I  cryin',  somethin'  speak  in  my  mind,  and  say,  '  Trust 
God,  Sarah  ;  He  love  His  people,  He  never  leave 
them.  He  never  forsake  them ;  He  never  forsake  Sarah, 
He  friend  indeed.  Go  tell  Jesus,  Sarah  ;  He  love  hear 
prayer ;  He  often  hear  Sarah  pray.'  So  I  wipe  my 
eyes ;  don't  cry  any  more ;  go  out  in  bushes,  where 
nobody  see,  fall  down  on  rny  old  knees  and  pray.  God 
give  me  great  many  words ;  pray  a  great  while.  God 
make  all  my  mind  peace. 

"  When.  I  get  up,  go  in  house,  can't  stop  prayin'  in 
my  mind.  All  my  heart  burn  with  love  to  God: 


POOR   SARAH.  113 

willin'  live  cold,  go  hungry,  be  sick,  die  all  'lone,  if 
God  be  there.*  He  know  best ;  Sarah  don't  know. 
So  I  feel  happy  ;  great  many  day  go  singin'  hymn — 

'  Now  I  can  trust  the  Lord  for  ever, 
He  can  clothe,  and  He  can  feed, 
He  my  rock,  and  He  my  Saviour, 
Jesus  is  a  friend  indeed.'  " 

"Well,  Sarah,  have  you  been  comfoi-tably  sup- 
plied ?  "  "  O  yes,"  she  replied,  "  I  never  out  corn 
meal  once  all  winter."  "  But  how  do  you  cook  it, 
Sai-ah,  so  as  to  make  it  comfortable  food  ?  "  "  O,  I 
make  porridge,  misse.  Sometimes  I  get  out,  like  to- 
day, and  I  go  get  some  crusts  bread  and  some  salt  put 
in  it,  then  it  is  so  nourishing  to  this  poor  old  body ; 
but  when  can't  get  none,  then  make  it  good  I  can, 
and  kneel  down,  pray  God  to  bless  it  to  me ;  and  I 
feel  if  God  feed  me,  and  be  so  happy  here  " — (laying 
her  hand  on  her  heart). 

Oh,  what  a  lesson,  thought  I,  for  my  repining  heart ! 
"But  do  you  have  no  meat  or  other  necessaries, 
Sarah  ?  "  "  Not  often,  misse  ;  sometimes  I  get  so 
hungry  for  it,  I  begin  feel  wicked ;  then  think  how 
Jesus  hungry  in  the  desert.  But  when  Satan  tempt 
Him  to  sin,  to  get  food,  He  would  not.  So  I  say,  Sarah 
won't  sin  to  get  victuals.  I  no  steal,  no  eat  stole 
food,  though  be  hungry  ever  so  long. 

"  Then  God  gives  me  small  look  of  His  self,  His  /Son, 
and  His  glory ;  and  I  think  in  my  heart,  they  all  be 


114  POOR    SARAH. 

mine  soon ;  then  I  no  suffer  hunger  any  more — my 
Father  have  there  many  mansions."  "  Sarah,"  said 
I,  "  you  seem  to  have  some  knowledge  of  the  Scrip- 
tures ;  can  you  read  ?  "  "I  can  spell  out  a  little  ;  I 
can't  read  like  you  white  folks  ;  O,  if  I  could  !  "  Here 
she  burst  into  tears. 

But  after  regaining  her  composure,  she  added, 
"  This,  misse,  what  I  want  above  all  things,  more  than 
victuals  or  drink.  Oh,  how  often  I  beg  God  teach  me 
to  read,  and  He  do  teach  me  some.  When  I  take 
Bible,  kneel  down  and  pray,  he  show  me  great  many 
words,  and  they  be  so  sweet,  I  want  to  know  a  great 
deal  more.  Oh,  when  I  get  home  to  heaven,  then  I 
know  all ;  no  want  to  read  any  more." 

In  this  strain  of  simple  piety,  she  told  me  her  first 
interesting  story.  And  when  she  departed,  I  felt  a 
stronger  evidence  of  her  being  a  true  child  of  God, 
than  I  have  acquired  of  some  professors  by  a  long  ac- 
quaintance. In  one  of  the  many  visits  she  afterward 
made  me,  she  gave  me,  in  substance,  the  following  ac- 
count of  her  conversion  : — She  lived,  according  to  her 
own  account,  until  she  became  a  wife  and  mother, 
without  hope  and  without  God  in  the  world,  having 
been  brought  up  in  extreme  ignorance. 

Her  husband  treating  her  with  great  severity,  she 
became  dejected  and  sorrowful,  and  to  use  her  own 
simple  language,  "  I  go  SOITOW,  sorrow,  all  day  long. 
"When  the  night  come,  husband  come  home  angry, 
beat  me  so  ;  then  I  think,  Oh,  if  Sarah  had  friend  ! 
Sarah  no  friend.  I  no  want  tell  nabor  I  got  trouble, 


POOR    SARAH.  115 

that  make  only  worse.     So   I  be  quiet,  tell  nobody, 
only  cry  all  night  and  day  for  one  good  friend. 

"  One  Sunday,  good  nabor  come,  and  say,  '  Come, 
Sarah,  go  MeetinV  So  I  call  my  children,  tell  'em 
stay  in  house  while  I  go  to  Meetin'.  When  got  there, 
minister  tell  all  about  Jesus ;  how  He  was  born  in 
stable,  go  suffer  all  His  life,  die  on  great  cross,  bury, 
rise,  and  go  up  into  heaven,  to  be  always  sinners' 
friend.  He  say,  too,  if  you  got  trouble,  go  to  the 
Lord  Jesus.  He  best  friend  in  sorrow,  He  cure  all 
your  sorrow,  He  bring  you  out  of  trouble,  He  support 
you,  make  you  willin'  suffer. 

"  So  when  [  go  home,  think  great  deal  what  minis- 
ter say  ;  think  this  the  friend  I  want — this  the  friend 
I  cry  for  so  long.  Poor  ignorant  Sarah  never  heard 
so  much  about  Jesus  before.  Then  I  try  hard  to  tell 
Jesus  how  I  want  such  friend.  But  oh,  my  heart  so 
hard,  can't  feel,  can't  pray,  can't  love  Jesus,  though 
he  so  good.  This  make  me  sorrow  more  and  more. 

"  When  Sunday  come,  want  to  go  to  Meetin'  'gain. 
Husband  say,  '  You  shan't  go  ;  I  beat  you  if  you  go.' 
So  I  wait  till  he  go  off  huntin',  then  shut  up  children 
safe,  and  run  to  Meetin' ;  sit  down  in  door,  hear  min- 
ister tell  how  bad  my  heart  is — no  love  to  God,  no 
love  to  Jesus,  no  love  to  pray.  So  then  I  see  why 
can't  have  Jesus  for  friend,  'cause  got  so  bad  heart : 
then  go  prayin'  all  way  home,  Jesus  make  my  heart 
better. 

"  When  got  home,  find  children  safe,  feel  glad  hus- 
band no  come  :  only  feel  sorry  'cause  my  wicked  heart 


116  POOH    SARAH. 

don't  know  how  make  it  better.  When  I  go  sleep, 
then  dream  I  can  read  good  book  :  dream  I  read 
there,  Sarah  must  be  born  'gain.  In  inornin'  keep 
thiukin'  what  that  word  mean.  When  husband  go 
work,  run  over  my  good  nabor,  ask  her  if  Bible  say  so. 

"  Then  she  read  me,  where  that  great  man  go  see 
Jesus  by  night,  'cause  'fraid  go  in  day-time.  I  think 
he  just  like  Sarah.  She  must  go  in  secret,  to  hear 
'bout  Jesus,  else  husband  be  angry,  and  beat  her. 
Then  feel  'couraged  in  mind,  determined  to  have  Jesus 
for  friend.  So  asked  nabor  how  get  good  heart. 
She  tell  me,  '  Give  your  heart  to  Jesus,  He  will  give 
Holy  Spirit,  make  it  better.  Sarah  don't  know  what 
she  mean — never  hear  'bout  Holy  Spirit. 

"  She  say  must  go  Meetin'  next  Sunday,  she  will 
tell  minister  'bout  me — he  tell  me  what  to  do.  So 
Sarah  go  hear  how  must  be  born  'gain  ;  minister  say, 
'  You  must  go  fall  down  'fore  God ;  tell  Him  you 
grieved  'cause  you  sin — tell  him  you  want  better 
heart — tell  him  for  Christ  Jesus'  sake  give  Holy 
Spirit,  make  your  heart  new.'  Then  Sarah  go  home 
light,  'cause  she  know  the  way. 

"  When  get  home,  husband  beat  me  'cause  I  go 
Meetin' — don't  stay  home  work.  I  say,  'Sarah  can't 
work  any  more  on  Sunday,  'cause  sin  'gainst  God.  I 
rather  work  night,  when  moon  shine.'  So  he  drive 
me  hoe  corn  that  night,  he  so  angry.  I  want  to  pray 
great  deal,  so  go  out  hoe  corn,  pray  all  the  time. 
When  come  in  house,  husband  sleep.  Then  I  kneel 
down  and  tell  Jesus  take  my  bad  heart — can't  bear 


POOK    SARAH.  117 

bad  heart ;  pray  give  me  Holy  Spirit,  make  my  heart 
soft,  make  it  all  new. 

"  So  great  many  days  Sarah  go  beg  for  a  new  heart. 
Go  Meetin'  all  Sundays ;  if  husband  beat  me,  never 
mind  it;  go  hear  good  nabor  read  Bible  every  day. 
So,  after  great  while,  God  make  all  my  mind  peace.  I 
love  Jesus ;  I  love  pray  to  Him ;  love  tell  Him  all  my 
sorrows.  He  take  away  my  sorrow,  make  all  my  soul 
joy  ;  only  sorrow  'cause  can't  read  Bible — learn  how 
to  be  like  Jesus ;  want  to  be  like  His  dear  people 
Bible  tell  of. 

"  So  I  make  great  many  brooms ;  go  get  Bible  for 
'em.  When  come  home,  husband  call  me  fool  for  it ; 
say  he  burn  it  up.  Then  I  go  hide  it ;  when  he  gone, 
get  it,  kiss  it  many  times,  'cause  it  Jesus'  good  Word. 
Then  I  go  ask  nabor  if  she  learn  me  read ;  she  say, 
'  Yes.'  Then  I  go  many  days  learn  letters,  pray  God 
all  the  while  help  me  learn  read  His  Holy  Word. 

"  So,  misse,  I  learn  read  hymn  ;  learn  to  spell  out 
many  good  words  in  Bible.  So  every  day  take  Bible, 
tell  my  children  that  be  God's  words,  tell  'em  how 
Jesus  die  on  cross  for  sinner :  then  make  'em  all 
kneel  down,  I  pray  God  give  'em  new  heart ;  pray  for 
husband  too,  he  so  wicked.  Oh,  how  I  sorry  for  him  ; 
fear  his  soul  go  in  burnin'  flame." 

"  Sarah,"  said  I,  "  how  long  did  your  husband 
live  ?  "  "  Oh,  he  live  great  many  year."  "  Did  he 
repent  and  become  a  good  man  ? "  "  No,  misse,  I 
'fraid  not ;  he  sin  more  and  more.  When  he  got  sick, 
I  in  great  trouble  for  him ;  talk  every  day  to  him, 


118  POOR    SARAH. 

but  he  no  hear  Sarah.  I  say,  '  How  can  you  bear  go 
in  burnin'  fire,  where  worm  never  die,  where  fire  never 
go  out  ? '  At  last  he  get  angry,  bid  me  hold  my 
tongue.  So  I  don't  say  any  more,  only  mourn  over 
him  every  day  'fore  God. 

"  When  he  die,  my  heart  say,  '  Father,  thy  will  be 
done  — Jesus  do  all  things  well.  Sarah  can't  help  him 
now,  he  be  in  God's  hands  ;  all  is  well.'  So  then  give 
ray  heart  all  away  to  Jesus ;  tell  Him  I  be  all  His ; 
serve  Him  all  my  life ;  beg  Holy  Spirit  come  fill  all 
my  heart,  make  it  all  clean  and  white  like  Jesus. 
Pray  God  help  me  learn  more  of  His  sweet  words. 

"And  now,  Sarah  live  poor  Indian  widow  gi-eat 
many  long  year  ;  always  find  Jesus  friend,  husband, 
brother,  all.  He  make  me  willin'  suffer  ;  willin'  live 
great  while  in  this  bad  world,  if  He  see  best.  'Bove 
all,  He  give  me  great  good  hope  of  glory  when  I  die. 
So  now  I  wait  patient  till  my  change  comes." 

While  she  was  giving  this  narration,  her  counte- 
nance bore  strong  testimony  to  the  diversified  emotions 
of  her  soul.  I  might  greatly  swell  the  list  of  particu- 
lars ;  but  I  design  only  to  give  the  outlines  of  an  ex- 
ample which  would  have  done  honor  to  the  highest 
sphere  in  life ;  and  which,  in  my  opinion,  is  not  the 
less  excellent,  or  the  less  worthy  of  imitation,  because 
shrouded  in  the  veil  of  poverty  and  sorrow.  It  was 
evident  she  meditated  much  on  what  little  she  knew 
of  divine  things  ;  and  what  she  knew  of  the  Bible  was 
to  her  like  honey  and  the  honeycomb. 

She  was  in  the  habit  of  bringing  bags  of  sand  into 


POOR    SARAH.  119 

the  village,  and  selling  it  to  buy  food.  Sometimes  she 
brought  grapes  and  other  kinds  of  fruit.  But  as  she 
walked  by  the  way,  she  took  little  notice  of  anything 
that  passed  (except  children,  whom  she  seldom  passed 
withoiit  an  affectionate  word  of  exhortation  to  be 
good,  say  their  prayers,  learn  to  read  the  Bible,  etc., 
accompanied  with  a  bunch  of  grapes  or  an  apple — thus 
engaging  the  affection  of  many  a  little  heart),  but 
seemed  absorbed  in  meditation ;  and  you  might  often 
have  observed  her  hands  uplifted  in  the  attitude  of 
prayer. 

One  day,  after  having  observed  her  as  she  came,  I 
asked  her  how  she  could  bring  so  heavy  loads,  old 
as  she  was,  and  feeble.  "  Oh,"  said  she,  "  when  I  get 
great  load,  then  I  go  pray  God  give  me  strength  to 
carry  it.  So  I  go  on,  thinkin'  all  the  way  how  good 
God  is  give  His  only  Son  die  for  poor  sinner ;  think 
how  good  Jesus  be,  suffer  so  much  for  such  poor  crea- 
ture ;  how  good  Holy  Spirit  was,  come  into  my  bad 
heart,  make  it  all  new  :  so  these  sweet  thoughts  make 
my  mind  so  full  joy,  I  never  think  how  heavy  sand 
be  on  my  old  back." 

Here,  said  I  to  my  heart,  learn  how  to  make  the 
heavy  load  of  iron  cares  easy.  One  day  she  passed 
with  a  bag  of  sand.  On  her  return  she  called  on  me. 

I  inquired  how  much  Mrs.  gave  her  for  the 

sand.  She  was  unwilling  to  tell,  and  I  feared  she  was 
unwilling  lest  I  should  withhold  my  accxistomed 
mite,  on  account  of  what  she  had  already  received ; 
J  therefore  insisted  she  should  let  me  see. 


120  POOR    SARAH. 

She  at  length  consented,  and  I  drew  from  the  bag  a 
bone,  not  containing  meat  euoxtgh  for  half  a  meal. 
"Is  this  all?  Did  that  rich  woman  turn  you  off 
so  ?  How  cruel,  how  hard-hearted  !  "  I  exclaimed. 
"  Misse,"  she  replied,  "  this  made  me  'fraid  let  you 
see  it ;  I  'fraid  you  would  be  angry :  I  hope  she  have 
bigger  heart  next  time,  only  she  forget  now  that  Jesus 
promise  to  pay  her  all  she  give  Sarah.  Don't  be  an- 
gry, I  pray  God  to  give  her  a  great  deal  bigger 
heart." 

The  conviction,  that  she  possessed,  in  an  eminent 
degree,  the  Spirit  of  Him  who  said,  "  Bless  them  that 
curse  you,"  and  prayed  for  His  murderers,  rushed 
upon  my  mind  with  energy,  and  I  could  compare  my- 
self in  some  measure  to  those  who  said,  "  Shall  we 
command  fire  to  come  down  from  heaven,"  etc.  I 
think  I  never  felt  deeper  self-abhorrence  and  abase- 
ment ;  I  left  her  for  a  moment,  and  from  the  few 
comforts  I  possessed,  gave  her  a  considerable  portion. 

She  received  them  with  the  most  visible  marks  of 
gratitude — arose  to  depart,  went  to  the  door,  and  then 
turned,  looking  me  in  the  face  with  evident  concern. 
"  Sarah,"  said  I,  "  what  would  you  have  ?  "  (suppos- 
ing she  wanted  something  I  had  not  thought  of,  and 
she  feared  to  ask).  "  Oh,  my  good  misse  !  "  said  she, 
"  nothing ;  only  'fraid  your  big  heart  feel  some  proud 

'cause  you  give  more  for  nothing  than  Misse  

for  sand." 

This  faithfulness,  added  to  her  piety  and  pratitude, 
completed  the  swell  of  feeling  already  rising  in  my 


POOR    SARAH.  121 

eoul ;  and  bursting  into  tears,  I  said,  "  O  Sarah  ! 

when  you  pray  that  Mrs.  may  have  a  bigger 

heart,  don't  forget  to  pray  that  I  may  have  an  humbler 
one."  "  I  will,  misse,  I  will,"  she  exclaimed  with 
joy,  and  hastened  on  her  way. 

Another  excellence  in  her  character,  was,  that  she 
loved  the  habitation  of  God's  house,  and  often  ap- 
peared there,  when,  from  bad  weather  or  other  causes, 
many  a  seat  of  affluence  was  empty.  She  was  always 
early,  ever  clean  and  whole  in  her  apparel,  though 
sometimes  almost  as  much  diversified  with  patches  as 
the  shepherd's  coat. 

She  was  very  old  and  quite  feeble,  yet  she  gen- 
erally stood  during  public  service,  with  eyes  riveted 
on  the  preacher.  I  have  sometimes  overtaken  her  on 
the  steps,  after  service,  and  tapping  her  on  her 
shoulder,  would  say,  "Have  you  had  a  good  day, 
Sarah  ?  "  "  All  good ;  sweeter  than  honey,'5  she 
would  reply. 

In  the  spring  of  1818,  it  was  observed  by  her 
friends  that  she  did  not  appear  at  Meeting  as  usual, 
and  one  of  her  particular  female  benefactors  asked 
her  the  reason ;  when  she,  with  streaming  eyes,  told 
her  that  her  clothes  had  become  so  old  and  ragged 
that  she  could  not  come  with  comfort  or  decency ; 
but  said  she  had  been  praying  God  to  provide  for  her 
in  this  respect,  a  great  while,  and  telling  Jesus  how 
much  she  wanted  to  go  to  His  house  of  prayer,  and 
expressed  a  strong  desire  to  be  resigned  aud  submis- 
sive to  His  will. 


122  POOR    SARAH. 

This  was  soon  communicated  to  a  few  friends,  who 
promptly  obeyed  the  call  of  Providence,  and  soon 
furnished  this  suffering  member  of  Christ  with  a  vt-ry 
decent  suit  of  clothes.  This  present  was  almost  over- 
powering to  her  grateful  heart.  She  received  them  as 
from  the  hand  of  her  Heavenly  Father  and  kind  Re- 
deemer, in  answer  to  her  special  prayer. 

But  this  did  not  in  the  least-  diminish  her  gratitude 
to  her  benefactors  ;  but  she  said  she  would  go  on,  tell 
Jesus  how  good  His  dear  people  were  to  this  poor  old 
creature,  and  pray  her  good  Father  to  give  them  great 
reward.  Two  of  the  garments  given  her,  she  received 
with  every  mark  of  joy.  On  being  asked  why  she 
set  so  high  a  value  on  these,  she  replied,  "  Oh,  these 
just  what  I  pray  for  so  long,  so  as  to  lay  out  my  poor 
old  body,  clean  and  decent,  like  God's  dear  white 
people,  when  I  die." 

These  she  requested  a  friend  to  keep  for  her,  fear- 
ing to  cany  them  home,  lest  they  should  be  taken 
from  her.  She  was,  however,  persuaded  to  wear  one 
of  them  to  Meeting,  upon  condition  that  if  she  injured 
that,  another  should  be  pi-ovided ;  the  other  was  pre- 
served by  her  friend,  and  made  use  of  at  her  death. 

Thus  was  this  humble  band  of  female  friends  hon- 
ored, by  anointing,  as  it  were,  the  body,  beforehand, 
to  the  burial.  And  I  doubt  not  that  her  prayer  was 
heard,  and  will  be  answered  in  their  abundant  re- 
~  ward.  The  last  visit  I  had  from  her  was  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1818.  She  had  attended  a  funeral,  and  on  re- 
turning, she  called  at  my  cottage.  She  complained 


THE    GENEROUS    NEGRO.  123 

of  great  weariness,  and  pain  in  her  limbs,  and  showed 
me  her  feet,  which  were  much  swollen. 

I  inquired  the  cause.  "  Oh,"  said  she,  with  a  serene 
smile,  "  death  comes  creeping  on ;  I  think  in  grave- 
yard to-day,  Sarah  must  lie  here  soon."  "  Well,  are 
you  willing  to  die?  do  you  feel  ready?"  "Oh,  I 
hope,  misse,  if  my  bad  heart  tell  true,  I  willin'  and 
ready  to  do  just  as  Jesus  bid  me.  If  He  say,  '  You 
must  die,'  I  glad  to  go  be  with  Him;  if  He  say, 
'  Live,  and  suffer  great  deal  more,'  then  I  willin'  do 
that ;  I  think  Jesus  know  best. 

"  Sometime  I  get  such  look  of  heaven,  I  long  to  go 
see  Jesus ;  see  happy  angel ;  see  holy  saint ;  throw 
away  my  bad  heart ;  lay  down  my  old  body  ;  and  go 
where  I  no  sin.  Then  I  tell  Jesus ;  He  say,  '  Sarah, 
I  prepare  a  place  for  you,  then  I  come  to  take  you  to 
myself.'  Then  I  be  quite  like  child,  don't  want  to  go 
till  He  call  me." 

Much  more  she  said  upon  this  interesting  subject, 
which  indicated  a  soul  ripe  for  heavenly  glories. 
When  we  parted,  I  thought  it  very  doubtful  whether 
we  should  ever  meet  again  below.  In  the  course  of 
three  weeks  I  heard  Sarah  was  dead. 


THE  GENEROUS  NEGRO. 

JOSEPH  RACHEL  resided  in  the  island  of  Barbadoes. 
He  was  a  trader,  and  dealt  chiefly  in  the  retail  way. 
In  his  business,  he  conducted  himself  so  fairly  and 


124  THE    GENEROUS    NEGRO. 

complaisantly,  that  in  a  town  filled  with  little  ped- 
dling shops,  his  doors  were  thronged  with  customers. 
Almost  all  dealt  with  him,  and  ever  found  him  re- 
markably honest  and  obliging. 

If  any  one  knew  not  where  to  obtain  an  article, 
Joseph  would  endeavor  to  procure  it,  without  making 
any  advantage  for  himself.  In  short,  his  character  was 
so  fair,  and  his  manners  so  generous,  that  the  best 
people  showed  him  a  regard  which  they  often  deny 
to  men  of  their  own  color,  because  they  are  not 
blessed  with  the  like  goodness  of  heart. 

In  1756,  a  fire  happened,  which  burned  down  a 
great  part  of  the  town,  and  ruined  many  of  the  in- 
habitants. Joseph  lived  in  a  quarter  that  escaped 
the  destruction,  and  expressed  his  thankfulness  by 
softening  the  distresses  of  his  neighbors.  Among 
those  who  had  lost  their  property  by  this  heavy  mis- 
fortune, was  a  man  to  whose  family  Joseph,  in  the 
early  part  of  his  life,  owed  some  obligations. 

This  man,  by  too  great  hospitality,  an  excess  very 
common  in  the  West  Indies,  had  involved  himself  in 
difficulties,  before  the  fire  happened ;  and  his  estate 
lying  in  houses,  that  event  entirely  ruined  him. 
Amid  the  cries  of  misery  and  want,  which  excited 
Joseph's  compassion,  this  man's  unfortunate  sitviation 
claimed  particular  notice.  The  generous  and  open 
temper  of  the  sufferer,  the  obligations  that  Joseph 
owed  to  his  family,  were  special  and  powerful  mo- 
tives for  acting  toward  him  the  part  of  a  friend. 

Joseph  had   his  bond    for  sixty   pounds    sterling. 


THE    GENEROUS    NEGRO.  125 

"  Unfortunate  man,"  said  he,  "  this  debt  shall  never 
come  against  you.  I  sincerely  wish  you  could  settle 
all  your  other  affairs  as  easily.  But  how  am  I  sure 
that  I  shall  keep  in  this  mind  ?  May  not  the  love 
of  gain,  especially  when,  by  length  of  time,  your  mis- 
fortune shall  become  familiar  to  me,  return  with  too 
strong  a  current,  and  bear  down  my  fellow-feeling  be- 
fore it  ?  But  for  this  I  have  a  remedy.  Never  shall 
you  apply  for  the  assistance  of  any  friend  against  my 
avarice." 

He  arose,  and  ordered  a  large  account  that  the 
man  had  with  him,  to  be  drawn  out ;  and  in  a  whim 
that  might  have  called  up  a  smile  on  the  face  of 
Charity,  he  filled  his  pipe,  sat  down  again,  twisted 
the  bond  and  lighted  his  pipe  with  it.  "While  the 
account  was  drawing  out,  he  continued  smoking,  in  a 
state  of  mind  that  a  monarch  might  envy.  When  it 
was  finished,  he  went  in  search  of  his  friend,  with  the 
discharged  account  and  the  mutilated  bond  in  his 
hand. 

On  meeting  him,  he  presented  the  papers  to  him 
with  this  address  :  "  Sir,  I  am  sensibly  affected  with 
your  misfortunes :  the  obligations  I  have  received 
from  your  family  give  me  a  relation  to  every  branch 
of  it.  I  know  that  your  inability  to  pay  what  you 
owe  gives  yon  more  uneasiness  than  the  loss  of  your 
own  substance. 

"  That  you  may  not  be  anxious  on  my  account  in 
particular,  accept  of  this  discharge,  and  the  remains 
of  your  bond.  I  am  overpaid  in  the  satisfaction 


126  CAPTAIN  PAUL  CUFFEE. 

that  I  feel  from  having  done  my  duty.  I  beg  you 
to  consider  this  only  as  a  token  of  the  happiness 
you  will  confer  upon  me,  whenever  you  put  it  in. 
my  power  to  do  you  a  good  office." 

The  philanthropists  of  England  take  pleasure  in 
speaking  of  him :  "  Having  become  rich  by  com- 
merce, he  consecrated  all  his  fortune  to  acts  of  be- 
nevolence. The  unfortunate,  without  distinction  of 
color,  had  a  claim  on  his  affections.  He  gave  to 
the  indigent ;  lent  to  those  who  could  not  make  a 
return ;  visited  prisoners,  gave  them  good  advice, 
and  endeavored  to  bring  back  the  guilty  to  virtue. 
He  died  at  Bridgetown,  on  that  island,  in  1758, 
lamented  by  all,  for  he  was  a  friend  to  all." 


CAPTAIN  PAUL  CUFFEE. 

PAUL  CUFFEE,  the  subject  of  this  narrative,  was 
the  youngest  son  of  John  Cuffee,  a  poor  African 
slave  ;  but  who,  by  good  conduct,  faithfulness,  and 
a  persevering  industry,  in  time  obtained  his  free- 
dom. He  afterward  purchased  a  farm,  and  having 
married  an  Indian  woman,  brought  up  a  family  of 
ten  children  respectably,  on  one  of  the  Elizabeth 
Islands,  near  New  Bedford,  Massachusetts. 

In  the  year  1773,  when  Paul  was  about  fourteen 
years  of  age,  his  father  died,  leaving  a  widow  with 
six  daughters  to  the  care  of  him  and  his  brothers. 


CAPTAIN  PAUL  CUFFEE.  127 

Although  he  had  no  learning  except  what  he  had 
received  from  the  hand  of  friendship,  yet  by  that 
means  he  advanced  to  a  considerable  degree  of 
knowledge  in  arithmetic  and  navigation. 

Of  the  latter,  he  acquired  enough  to  enable  him 
to  command  his  own  vessel  in  its  voyages  to  many 
ports  in  the  Southern  States,  the  West  Indies,  Eng- 
land, Russia,  and  to  Africa.  The  beginning  of  his 
business  in  this  line  was  in  an  open  boat ;  but  by 
prudence  and  perseverance,  he  was  at  length  enabled 
to  obtain  a  good-sized  schooner,  then  a  brig,  and 
afterward  a  ship.  In  the  year  1806,  he  owned  a 
ship,  two  brigs,  and  several  smaller  vessels,  besides 
considerable  property  in  houses  and  lands. 

Feeling  in  early  life  a  desire  of  benefiting  his 
fellow-men,  he  made  use  of  such  opportunities  as 
were  in  his  power  for  that  purpose.  Hence,  during 
the  severity  of  winter,  when  he  could  not  pursue  his 
usual  business  in  his  little  boat,  he  employed  his  time 
in  teaching  navigation  to  his  own  family  and  to  the 
young  men  of  the  neighborhood.  Even  on  his  voy- 
ages, when  opportunity  offered,  he  instructed  those 
under  his  care  in  that  useful  art. 

He  was  so  conscientious  that  he  would  not  enter 
into  any  business,  however  profitable,  that  might 
have  a  tendency  to  injure  his  fellow-men ;  and  seeing 
the  dreadful  effects  of  drunkenness,  he  would  not 
deal  in  ardent  spirits  on  that  account.  ; 

In  the  place  where  he  lived,  there  was  no  school ; 
and  as  he  was  anxious  that  his  children  should  obtain 


128  CAPTAIN  PAUL  CUFFEE. 

an  education,  he  built  a  house  on  his  own  land,  at  his 
own  expense,  and  gave  his  neighbors  the  free  use  of 
it ;  being  satisfied  in  seeing  it  occupied  for  so  useful 
and  excellent  a  purpose. 

In  many  parts  of  his  history,  we  may  discover  that 
excellent  trait  of  character  which  rendered  him  so 
eminently  useful — a  steady  perseverance  in  laxidable 
undertakings.  It  is  only  b}'  an  honest,  industrious 
use  of  the  means  in  our  power  that  we  can  hope  to 
become  respectable. 

His  mind  had  long  been  affected  with  the  degraded 
and  miserable  condition  of  his  African  brethren,  and 
his  heart  yearning  toward  them,  his  thoughts  were 
turned  to  the  British  settlement  at  Sierra  Leone.  In 
1811,  finding  his  property  sufficient  to  warrant  the 
undertaking,  and  believing  it  to  be  his  duty  to  use  a 
part  of  what  God  had  given  him  for  the  benefit  of  his 
unhappy  race,  he  embarked  in  his  own  brig,  manned 
entirely  by  persons  of  color,  and  sailed  to  Africa,  the 
land  of  his  forefathers. 

After  he  arrived  at  Sierra  Leone,  he  had  many  con- 
versations with  the  governor  and  principal  inhabitants, 
and  proposed  to  them  a  number  of  improvements. 
Thence  he  sailed  to  England,  where  he  met  great  atten- 
tion and  respect ;  and  being  favored  with  an  opportunity 
of  opening  his  views  to  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the 
African  Institution,  they  cordially  united  with  him  in 
all  his  plans.  This  mission  to  Africa  was  undertaken 
at  his  own  expense,  and  with  the  purest  motives  of 
benevolence. 


CAPTAIN  PAUL  CUFFEE.  129 

He  was  very  desirous  of  soon  making  another  voy- 
age, but  was  prevented  by  the  war  which  took  place 
between  England  and  the  United  States.  In  1815, 
however,  he  made  preparations,  and  took  on  board  his 
brig  thirty-eight  persons  of  color;  and  after  a  voyage 
of  thirty-five  days,  he  arrived  safe  at  his  destined 
port.  These  persons  were  to  instruct  the  inhabitants 
of  Sierra  Leone  in  farming  and  the  mechanic  arts. 
His  stay  at  this  time  was  about  two  months,  and  when 
he  took  his  leave,  particularly  of  those  whom  he  had 
brought  over,  it  was  like  a  father  leaving  his  children, 
and  with  pious  admonition  commending  them  to  the 
protection  of  God. 

He  was  making  arrangements  for  a  third  voyage, 
when  he  was  seized  with  the  complaint  which  termi- 
nated his  labors  and  his  life.  He  was  taken  ill  in 
the  winter,  and  died  in  the  autumn  following,  1817, 
in  the  fifty-ninth  year  of  his  age.  For  the  benefit  of 
his  African  brethren,  he  devoted  a  portion  of  his 
youthful  acquisitions,  of  his  latter  time,  and  even  the 
thoughts  of  his  dying  pillov. 

As  a  private  man,  he  was  just  and  upright  in  all  his 
dealings.  He  was  an  affectionate  husband,  a  kind 
father,  a  good  neighbor,  and  a  faithful  friend.  He  was 
pious  without  ostentation,  and  warmly  attached  to  the 
principles  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  of  which  he  was 
a  member;  and  he  sometimas  expressed  a  few  senten- 
ces in  their  Meetings,  which  gave  general  satisfaction. 
Regardless  of  the  honors  and  pleasures  of  the  world, 
he  followed  the  example  of  his  Divine  Master,  in  going 


130  CAPTAIN  PAUL  COFFEE. 

from  place  to  place  doing  good,  looking  not  for  a  re- 
ward from  man,  but  from  his  Heavenly  Father. 

Thus  walking  iu  the  ways  of  piety  and  usefulness, 
and  in  the  enjoyment  of  an  approving  conscience, 
when  death  appeared,  it  found  him  in  peace,  and  ready 
to  depart.  Such  a  calmness  and  serenity  overspread 
his  soul,  and  showed  itself  in  his  countenance,  that 
the  heart  of  even  the  reprobate  might  feel  the  wish, 
"  Let  me  die  the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  let  my 
last  end  be  like  his." 

A  short  time  before  he  expired,  feeling  sensible  that 
his  end  was  near,  he  called  his  family  together.  It  was 
an  affecting  and  solemn  scene.  His  wife  and  children, 
with  several  other  relations,  being  assembled  around 
him,  he  reached  forth  his  feeble  hand,  and  after  embrac- 
ing them  all,  and  giving  them  some  pious  advice,  he 
commended  them  to  the  mercy  of  God,  and  bid  them  a 
final  farewell. 

After  this,  his  mind  seemed  almost  entirely  occxipied 
with  the  eternal  world.  To  one  of  his  neighbors  who 
came  to  visit  him,  he  said,  "  Not  many  days  hence, 
and  ye  shall  see  the  glory  of  God.  I  know  that  my 
works  are  gone  to  judgment  before  me;  but  it  is  all 
well,  it  is  all  well." 

He  lived  the  life,  and  died  the  death  of  a  Christian. 
He  is  gone  whence  he  never  shall  return,  and  where 
he  shall  no  more  contend  with  raging  billows  and 
with  howling  storms.  His  voyages  are  all  over,  he 
has  made  his  last  haven,  and  it  is  that  of  eternal  re- 
pose. Thither,  could  we  follow  him,  we  should  learn 


CAPTAIN  PAUL  CUFFEE.  131 

the  importance  of  fulfilling  our  duty  to  our  Creator, 
to  ourselves,  and  to  our  fellow-creatures. 

Such  was  his  reputation  for  wisdom  and  integrity, 
that  his  neighbors  consulted  him  in  all  their  important 
concerns ;  and  what  an  honor  to  the  son  of  a  poor  Af- 
rican slave !  And  the  most  respectable  men  in  Great 
Britain  and  America  were  not  ashamed  to  seek  him 
for  counsel  and  advice. 

Thus  we  see  how  his  persevering  industry  and  econ- 
omy, with  the  blessing  of  Providence,  procured  him 
wealth ;  his  wisdom,  sobriety,  integrity,  and  good  con- 
duct made  him  many  friends  ;  his  zealous  labors  for 
the  honor  of  his  Maker,  and  for  the  benefit  of  his  fellow- 
men,  gave  him  a  peaceful  conscience  ;  and  an  unshak- 
en belief  in  the  mercies  and  condescending  love  of  his 
Heavenly  Father,  afforded,  in  his  dying  moments,  that 
calmness,  serenity,  and  peaceful  joy,  which  are  a  fore- 
taste of  immortal  bliss. 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  his  address  to  his 
brethren  at  Sierra  Leone  : — "  Beloved  friends  and  fel- 
low-countrymen, I  earnestly  recommend  to  you  the 
propriety  of  assembling  yourselves  together  to  worship 
the  Lord  your  God.  God  is  a  Spirit,  and  they  that 
worship  Him  acceptably,  must  worship  in  spirit  and 
in  truth. 

"  Come,  my  African  brethren,  let  us  walk  in  the 
light  of  the  Lord ;  in  that  pure  light  which  bringeth 
salvation  into  the  world.  I  recommend  sobriety  and 
steadfastness,  that  so  professors  may  be  good  examples 
in  all  things.  I  recommend  that  early  care  be  taken 


132  CAPTAIN  PAUL  CUFFEK. 

to  instruct  the  youth  while  their  minds  are  tender, 
that  so  they  may  be  preserved  from  the  corruptions 
of  the  world,  from  profanity,  intemperance,  and  bad 
company. 

"  May  servants  be  encouraged  to  discharge  their 
duty  with  faithfulness  ;  may  they  be  brought  up  to  in- 
dustry ;  and  may  their  minds  be  cultivated  for  the  re- 
ception of  the  good  seed  which  is  promised  to  all  who 
seek  it.  I  want  that  we  should  be  faithful  in  all 
things,  that  so  we  may  become  a  people  giving  satisfac- 
tion to  those  who  have  borne  the  burden  and  heat  of 
the  day  in  liberating  iis  from  a  state  of  slavery. 

"  I  leave  you  in  the  hands  of  Him  who  is  able  to 
preserve  you  through  time,  and  crown  you  with  that 
blessing  which  is  prepared  for  all  who  are  faithful  to 
the  end."  This  appears  to  be  the  simple  expression  of 
his  feelings,  and  the  language  of  his  heart. 

When  you  have  read  this  account  of  your  brother 
Paul  Cuffee,  pause  and  reflect.  Do  not  think  because 
you  cannot  be  as  extensively  useful  as  he  was,  that 
you  cannot  do  any  good.  There  are  very  few  people, 
if  any,  in  the  world  who  cannot  be  useful  in  some  way 
or  other.  If  you  have  health,  you  may,  by  your  in- 
dustry, sobriety,  and  economy,  make  yourselves  and 
your  families  comfortable. 

By  your  honesty  and  goo:l  conduct,  you  may  set 
them  and  your  neighbors  a  good  example.  If  you  have 
aged  parents,  you  may  soothe  and  comfort  theii  declin- 
ing years.  If  you  have  children,  you  may  instruct 
them  in  piety  and  virtue,  and  in  such  business  as  will 


SOLOMON    BAYLEY.  133 

procure  them  a  comfortable  subsistance,  and  prepare 
them  for  usefulness  in  the  world. 


SOLOMON   BAYLEY. 

IN  the  narrative  of  his  own  life,  Solomon  Bayley 
says :  "  The  Lord  tried  to  teach  me  His  fear  when  I 
was  a  little  boy  ;  but  I  delighted  in  vanity  and  foolish- 
ness, and  went  astray ;  but  He  found  out  a  way  to 
overcome  me,  and  to  cause  me  to  desire  His  favor  and 
His  great  help ;  and  although  I  thought  no  one  could 
be  more  unworthy  of  His  favor,  yet  He  did  look  on 
me,  and  pity  me  in  my  great  distress. 

"  I  was  born  a  slave  in  the  State  of  Delaware,  and 
was  one  of  those  that  were  carried  out  of  Delaware 
into  the  State  of  Virginia  ;  the  laws  of  Delaware  did 
say,  that  slaves  carried  out  of  that  State  should  be 
free  ;  and  I  asserted  my  right  to  freedom,  for  which 
I  was  put  on  board  of  a  vessel  and  sent  to  Richmond, 
where  I  was  put  in  jail,  and  in  irons,  and  thence  sent 
in  a  wagon  back  into  the  country. 

"  On  the  third  day  after  we  left  Richmond,  in  the 
bitterness  of  my  heart,  I  was  induced  to  say,  '  I  am 
past  all  hope ; '  but  it  pleased  the  Father  of  mercy 
to  look  iipon  me,  and  He  sent  a  strengthening 
thought  into  my  heart — that  He  that  made  the 
heavens  and  the  earth  was  able  to  deliver  me.  I 
looked  up  to  the  sky,  and  then  on  the  trees  and  the 


134  SOLOMON    BAYLEI. 

ground,  and  I  believed,  in  a  moment,  that  if  He 
could  make  all  these,  He  was  able  to  deliver  me. 

"  Then  did  that  Scripture  come  into  my  mind, 
'  They  that  trust  in  the  Lord  shall  never  be  con- 
founded.' I  believed  it,  and  got  out  of  the  wagon 
unperceived,  and  went  into  the  bushes.  There  were 
three  wagons  in  company :  when  they  missed  me, 
they  looked  round  some  time  for  me,  but  not  finding 
me,  they  went  on ;  and  that  night  I  travelled 
through  thunder,  lightning,  and  rain,  a  considerable 
distance." 

His  trials  and  difficulties  in  getting  along  were 
many  and  various ;  but  at  Petersburg  he  met  a 
man  from  his  neighborhood,  circumstanced  like  him- 
self :  they  got  a  small  boat,  went  down  James  River, 
and  landed  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Chesapeake  Bay, 
and  travelled  to  Hunting  Creek,  where  their  wives 
were.  "  But,"  says  he,  "  we  found  little  or  no  sat- 
isfaction, for  we  were  hunted  like  partridges  on  the 
mountains." 

His  poor  companion,  being  threatened  again  with 
slavery,  in  attempting  to  escape,  was  pursued  and 
killed ;  on  which  Solomon  makes  the  following  re- 
marks :  "  Now,  reader,  you  have  heard  of  the  end 
of  my  fellow-sufferer,  but  I  remain  as  yet  a  monu- 
ment of  mercy,  thrown  up  and  down  on  life's  tem- 
pestuous sea ;  sometimes  feeling  an  earnest  desire  to 
go  away  and  be  at  rest ;  but  I  travail  on,  in  hopes 
of  overcoming  at  my  last  combat. 

"  It  being  thought  best  for  me  to  leave  Virginia, 


SOLOMON    BAYLEY.  135 

1  went  to  Dover,  in  Delaware,  the  distance  of  about 
one  hundred  and  twenty  miles."  By  travelling  in 
the  night,  and  laying  by  in  the  day-time,  he  at  length 
reached  that  place,  but  not  without  great  difficulty, 
from  being  hunted  and  pursued, 

In  concluding  this  part  of  his  narrative,  he  says, 
"  Oh,  what  pains  God  takes  to  help  His  otherwise 
helpless  creatures  !  Oh,  that  His  kindness  and  care 
were  more  considered  and  laid  to  heart !  and  then 
there  would  not  be  that  cause  to  complain  that  '  the 
ox  knoweth  his  owner,  and  the  ass  his  master's 
crib,  but  Israel  doth  not  know,  my  people  doth  not 
consider ; '  but  they  would  see  that  they  are  of 
more  value  than  many  sparrows ;  and  that  they  are 
not  their  own,  but  bought  with  a  price.  Now,  unto- 
the  King  immortal,  invisible,  the  only  wise  God,  be 
glory  and  honor,  dominion  and  power,  now  and  for- 
ever. Amen." 

In  the  second  part  of  his  narrative,  he  proceeds 
by  remarking,  "Seventh  month,  24th,  1799,  I  got 
to  Camden,  where  my  master  soon  came  from  Vir- 
ginia and  found  me,  though  he  had  not  seen  me 
since  he  put  me  on  board  the  back-country  wagon, 
nearly  three  or  four  hundred  miles  from  Camden. 
Upon  first  sight,  he  asked  me  what  I  was  going  to  do. 
I  said,  '  Now,  master,  I  have  suffered  a  great  deal, 
and  seen  a  great  deal  of  trouble ;  I  think  you  might 
let  me  go  for  little  or  nothing.'  He  said,  '  I  won't 
do  that ;  but  if  you  will  give  me  forty  pounds  Lond 
and  good  security,  you  may  be  free.'  v 


136  SOLOMON    BAYLEY. 

After  much  conversation  between  them  on  the  sub- 
ject of  his  right  to  freedom,  he  continues :  "  Finally, 
he  sold  my  time  "  for  eighty  dollars,  and  I  went  to 
work,  and  worked  it  out  in  a  shorter  time  than  he 
gave  me,  and  then  I  was  a  free  man.  And  when  I 
came  to  think  that  the  yoke  was  off  my  neck,  and 
how  it  was  taken  off,  I  was  made  to  wonder  and  ad- 
mire, and  to  adore  the  order  of  kind  Providence, 
which  assisted  me  in  all  my  way." 

Here  he  very  feelingly  recites  the  trials  and  exer- 
cises of  mind  that  attended  him  for  not  adhering  to 
that  wisdom  and  goodness  of  his  Creator,  which  had 
been  so  marvellously  manifested  for  his  deliverance, 
and  then  proceeds  to  relate  the  circumstances  respect- 
ing his  wife  and  children.  "  My  wife  was  born  a 
slave,  and  remained  one  until  she  was  thirty-two 
years  of  age  ;  when  her  master,  falling  out  with  her, 
proposed  sending  her,  with  my  eldest  daughter,  about 
three  months  old,  into  the  back  country. 

"  To  go  with  her,  I  knew  not  whei-e,  or  to  buy  her 
at  his  piice,  brought  me  to  a  stand  ;  but,  by  the 
pleading  of  his  wife  and  little  daiighter,  he  agreed  to 
let  me  have  her  for  one  hundred  and  thirty-three  dol- 
lars and  a  third,  which  is  thirty-one  pounds  Virginia 
money.  I  paid  what  money  I  had  saved  since  paying 
for  my  own  freedom,  and  the  rest  as  I  earned  it,  and 
she  was  manumitted.  But  I  had  one  child  in  bond- 
age, my  only  son,  and  having  worked  through  the 
purchase  of  myself  and  wife,  I  thought  I  would  give 
up  my  son  to  the  ordering  of  Divine  Providence. 


SOLOMON    BAYLEY.  137 

"  So  we  worked  and  rented  land,  and  got  along 
twelve  or  thirteen  years,  when  my  son's  master  died, 
and  his  property  had  to  be  sold,  and  my  son  among 
the  rest,  at  public  sale.  The  backwoods-men  having 
come  over  and  given  such  large  prices  for  slaves,  it 
occasioned  a  great  concern  to  come  over  my  mind, 
and  I  told  it  to  many  of  my  friends,  and  they  all 
encouraged  me  to  buy  him,  but  I  told  them  I  could 
have  no  heart  to  do  it,  because  at  his  master's  death 
he  was  appraised  at  four  hundred  dollars ;  however,  I 
went  to  the  sale.  When  the  crier  said,  '  A  likely 
young  negro-fellow  for  sale,'  and  then  asked  for  a  bid, 
I  said,  '  Two  hundred  dollars.' 

"  As  soon  as  I  made  this  bid,  a  man  that  I  feared 
would  sell  him  to  the  backwoods-men,  bid  three  hun- 
dred and  thirty-three  dollars,  which  beat  down  all 
my  courage,  but  a  thought  struck  me — Don't  give 
out  so — and  I  bid  one  shilling,  but  they  continued 
to  bid  until  they  got  him  up  to  three  hundred  and 
sixty  dollars,  and  I  thought  I  could  do  no  more  ; 
but  those  men  who  had  engaged  to  be  my  securities, 
encouraged  me,  and  some  young  men  who  were  pres- 
ent, and  had  their  hearts  touched  with  a  feeling  for 
my  distress,  said,  '  Solomon,  if  you  will  make  one 
more  bid,  we  will  give  you  five  dollars  apiece;'  so 
I  turned  round  and  said,  '  One  shilling ; '  so  he  was 
knocked  off  to  me  at  three  hundred  and  sixty  dollars 
and  a  shilling  :  this  was  in  the  year  181,3.  , 

"  Then  I  believed  that  God  would  work,  and  none 
could  hinder  Him,  and  that  a  way  would  be  made 


138  SOLOMON    BAYLEY. 

for  me,  though  I  knew  not  how ;  and  I  confess  the 
eyes  of  my  mind  appeared  to  be  dazzled  as  I  was 
let  into  a  sight  of  the  great  goodness  of  the  Highest 
in  undertaking  for  me ;  but  I  felt  a  fear  lest  my  be- 
havior should  not  be  suitable  to  the  kindness  and 
favor  shown  toward  me. 

"  Oh,  that  all  men  would  study  the  end  of  their 
creation,  and  act  accordingly  !  Then  they  would  walk 
in  the  light  of  His  countenance  indeed,  and  '  in  His 
name  rejoice  all  the  day,  and  in  His  righteousness 
for  ever  be  exalted.' 

'  Then  should  their  sun  in  smiles  decline, 
And  bring  a  peaceful  night ; ' 

which  may  all  who  read  these  lines,  desire,  and  seek, 
and  obtain,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  Amen." 

In  the  account  of  his  mother,  he  says,  "  She  was 
born  of  a  woman  brought  from  Guinea  about  the  year 
1690,  then  about  eleven  years  old.  She  was  brought 
into  one  of  the  most  barbarous  families;  and  though 
treated  hard,  she  had  many  children,  and  lived  to  a 
great  age.  My  mother  had  thirteen  sons  and  daugh- 
ters, and  served  the  same  cruel  family  until  they  died. 

"  Then  great  distress  and  dispersion  took  place. 
Our  young  mistress  married,  and  brought  our  family 
out  of  the  State  of  Virginia  into  the  State  of  Dela- 
wjxre  ;  but  by  their  removing  back  to  Virginia,  we 
were  entitled  to  our  freedom,  and  attempting  to  re- 
cover it  by  law,  we  were  sold  and  scattered  wide. 


SOLOMON    BAYLEY.  139 

My  father  and  two  of  his  children  were  taken  un- 
aware, and  sent  to  the  West  Indies.  My  mother  was 
in  the  house  at  the  time,  but  made  her  escape,  leaving 
a  child  about  eleven  months  old,  which  some  kiud 
friend  carrying  to  her,  she  took,  and  travelling 
through  Delaware,  went  into  New  Jersey. 

"  We  were  separated  about  eighteen  years,  except 
that  I  once  visited  her,  and  carried  her  seventeen  or 
eighteen  dollars,  which,  in  my  circumstances,  was  a 
sacrifice,  but  I  was  favored  to  find  that  satisfaction 
which  I  esteemed  more  than  time  or  money.  Being 
thoughtful  about  my  mother,  I  sent  for  her  to  come 
to  the  State  of  Delaware,  and  when  we  were  brought 
together,  it  was  very  comfortable,  and  we  could  sit 
and  tell  of  the  dangers  and  difficulties  we  had  been 
brought  through.  She  lived  to  a  great  age,  and  de- 
parted without  much  complaint,  like  one  falling 
asleep. 

"  An  account  of  my  eldest  daughter  Margaret,  who 
died  in  the  twenty-fourth  year  of  her  age. 

"  She  was  a  pleasant  child  in  her  manners  and  be- 
havior, yet  fond  of  gay  dress  and  new  fashions  ;  yet 
her  mind  was  much  inclined  to  her  book,  and  to  read 
good  lessons  ;  and  it  pleased  the  Father  of  mercy  to 
open  her  understanding  to  see  excellent  things  out  of 
His  law,  and  to  convince  her  that  it  was  His  will  she 
should  be  holy  here,  and  happy  hereafter  ;  but  cus- 
tom, habit,  and  shame,  seemed  to  chain  her  down,  so 


140  SOLOMOX    BAYLEY. 

that  she  appeared  like  one  halting  between  two 
opinions. 

"  But  about  a  month  before  she  was  taken  for 
death,  she  went  to  a  Meeting,  under  a  concern  about 
her  future  state ;  and  the  Meeting  appeared  to  be 
favored  with  the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  of  love  and 
of  power.  Margaret  came  home  under  great  concern 
of  mind,  and  manifested  a  wonderful  change  in  her 
manners  and  behavior ;  I  believe  the  whole  family 
were  affected  at  the  sight  of  the  alteration,  which  in- 
deed appeared  like  that  of  the  prodigal  sou  coming 
home  to  his  father.  For  my  own  part,  I  felt  fear 
and  great  joy — such  was  her  delight  to  read  the  Bible 
and  ask  the  meaning  of  certain  texts  of  Scripture,  which 
evidenced  a  concern  to  make  sure  work  for  eternity. 

"In  this  frame  of  mind  she  was  taken  for  death. 
She  appeared  very  desirous  to  live,  for  the  first  four 
weeks ;  but  was  very  patient,  and  of  a  sweet  temper 
and  disposition  all  the  time.  1  recollect  but  one  in- 
stance when  she  was  known  to- give  way  to  peevish 
fretf ulness  ;  then  I,  feeling  the  evil  spirit  striving  to 
get  the  advantage  of  her,  very  tenderly  and  earnestly 
admonished  her  not  to  regard  trifles,  but  to  look  to 
that  Power  which  was  able  to  save  her;  and  from 
that  time  she  became  passive  and  resigned. 

"  The  following  two  weeks  her  pain  was  great,  and 
baffled  all  the  force  of  medicine.  A  few  days  before 
her  departure,  she  was  urged  with  much  brokenness 
of  heart  to  make  confession,  when  she  was  let  into  a 
view  of  the  vanity  of  the  world,  with  all  its  glitter- 


SOLOMON    BAYLEY.  141 

ing  snares,  and  said  she  could  not  rest  till  her  hair 
was  cut  off;  for,  she  said,  '  I  was  persuaded  to  plait 
my  hair  against  my  father's  advice,  and  I  used  to  tie 
up  my  head  when  father  would  come  to  see  me,  and 
hide  ruffles  and  gay  dress  from,  him,  and  now  I  can- 
not rest  till  my  hair  is  cut  off.'  I  said,  '  No,  my 
daughter,  let  it  be  till  thee  gets  well.'  She  answered, 
'Oh,  no,  cut  it  now.'  So  I,  to  pacify  her,  took  and 
cropped  it. 

"  After  this,  she  appeared  filled  with  raptures  of 
joy,  and  talked  of  going,  as  if  death  had  lost  its  sting. 
This  was  about  three  days  before  her  departure ;  and 
she  seemed  to  have  her  senses  as  long  as  she  could 
speak.  A  little  before  her  speech  left  her,  she  called 
us  all,  one  by  one,  held  out  her  hand,  bade  us  fare- 
well, and  looked  as  if  she  felt  that  assurance  and 
peace  that  destroy  the  fear  of  death  ;  and  while  she 
held  out  her  hands,  she  earnestly  charged  us  to  meet 
her  in  heaven. 

"  I  desire  now  to  give  the  pious  a  brief  account  of 
the  life  and  death  of  my  youngest  daughter,  Leah 
Bayley,  who  departed  this  life  the  27th  of  7th  month, 
1821,  aged  twenty-one  years  and  six  months.  She, 
from  a  child,  was  more  weakly  and  sickly  than  her 
sister  Margaret,  and  the  thought  of  leaving  her  here 
in  this  ill-natured  world,  caused  me  many  serious 
moments  ;  but  the  great  Parent  of  all  good,  in  the 
greatness  of  His  care,  took  her  away,  and  relieved  me 
of  the  care  of  her  forever. 

"  Weakness  of  body  and  mind  appeared  in  her  as 


142  SOLOMOX    BAYLEY. 

she  grew  up,  and  an  inclination  to  vanity  and  idle- 
ness ;  but  being  bound  out  under  an  industrious  mis- 
tress, to  learn  to  work  and  to  bave  schooling,  her 
mind  soon  became  much  inclined  to  her  book  and 
then  Jto  business.  Her  school -mistress  gave  her  a 
little  book  concerning  some  pious  young  people  that 
lived  happily,  and  died  happily,  and  were  gone  to 
heaven ;  namely, — 

"  Young  Samuel,  that  little  child 
Who  served  the  Lord,  lived  undefiled. 
Like  young  Abijah  I  must  be, 
That  good  things  may  be  found  in  me. 
Young  Timothy,  that  blessed  youth 
Who  sought  the  Lord  and  loved  the  truth. 
I  must  not  sin  as  others  do, 
Lest  I  lie  down  in  sorrow  too. 

"  These  blessed  examples  won  her  heart  so  as  to 
bury  every  other  enjoyment ;  she  seemed  to  possess  as 
great  a  deadness  to  the  world  as  any  young  woman  I 
ever  observed.  She  seemed  not  ashamed  to  read  in  any 
company,  white  or  colored  ;  and  she  read  to  the  sick 
with  intense  desire,  which  appeared  from  her  weeping 
and  solid  manner  of  behavior.  She  seemed  to  desire 
to  walk  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord  all  the  day  long ;  and 
every  body  that  observed  her  remarked  her  serious, 
steady  behavior. 

"  She  seemed  as  if  she  was  trying  to  imitate  those 
good  children  whom  she  read  about ;  and  so  continued 
until  she  was  taken  sick  ;  and  though  her  sickness 
was  long  and  sharp,  yet  she  bore  it  like  a  lamb.  A 


CLARINDA.  143 

few  days  before  her  decease,  I  was  noticing  how  hard 
she  drew  her  breath;  she  looked  very  wistful  at  me, 
and  said,  '  Oh,  father  !  how  much  I  do  suffer  ! '  I 
answered,  '  Yes,  my  dear,  I  believe  thee  does.' 

"  Then,  after  a  long  pause,  she  said,  '  But  I  think 
I  never  shall  say  I  suffer  too  much.'  This,  I  appre- 
hended, was  extorted  from  a  view  of  the  sufferings  of 
Christ  and  her  own  imperfections.  The  day  she  died, 
she  called  us  all,  one  by  one,  and,  like  her  sister  Mar- 
garet, held  out  her  hand,  and  with  much  composure 
of  mind  bade  us  farewell,  as  if  she  was  only  going  a 
short  walk,  and  to  return." 

The  last  accounts  from  Solomon  Bayley  say,  that 
he  was  very  diligent  and  faithful  in  his  calling — 
laboring  not  only  for  the  souls  of  his  brethren,  but 
for  their  bodies  also — by  setting  them  the  best  ex- 
ample he  was  capable  of,  in  cultivating  his  land  to 
the  best  advantage,  and  by  improving  his  plans,  to 
show  the  natives,  as  well  as  the  emigrants,  the  useful- 
ness and  comforts  of  civilized  life. 


CLARINDA, 

A    PIOUS     COLORED    WOMAN    OP     SOUTH    CAROLINA,    WHO 
PIED  AT  THE  AGE  OF  A  HUNDRED  AND    TWO  YEARS. 

THE  subject  of  this  memoir  was  brought  up  in  a 
state  of  ignorance  unworthy  of  a  Christian  country  ; 
and  following  the  propensities  of  a  corrupt  heart,  she 


144  CLARINDA. 

was,  by  her  own  confession,  "  sold  under  sin,"  and  in- 
volved in  almost  every  species  of  iniquity.  And  for 
the  furtherance  of  her  wicked  designs,  she  learned  to 
play  on  the  violin,  and  usually,  on  the  first  day  of  the 
wet'k,  sallied  forth  with  her  instrument,  in  order  to 
draw  persons  of  both  sexes  together,  who,  not  having 
the  fear  of  God  before  their  eyes,  delighted,  like  her- 
self, in  sinful  and  pernicious  amusements,  which  keep 
the  soul  from  God  and  the  heart  from  repentance. 

But  even  on  these  occasions  she  found  it  difficult  to 
struggle  against  the  Spirit  of  the  Most  High.  Often  was 
it  sounded  in  her  conscience,  "  Clarinda,  God  oxight 
not  to  be  slighted — God  ought  not  to  be  forgotten  ;  " 
but  these  monitions  were  treated  with  derision,  and 
in  the  hardness  of  her  heart  she  would  exclaim  :  il  Go, 
you  fool,  I  do  not  know  God — go,  I  do  not  wish  to 
know  Him." 

On  one  occasion,  while  on  her  way  to  a  dance,  these 
blasphemous  thoughts,  in  answer  to  the  monitions  of 
conscience,  were  passing  through  her  mind,  and  in 
this  frame  she  reached  the  place  of  appointment,  and 
mingled  in  the  gay  throng.  While  participating  in 
the  dance,  she  was  seized  with  fits,  and  convulsively 
fell  to  the  ground.  From  that  moment,  she  lost  her 
love  of  dancing,  and  no  more  engaged  in  this  vain 
amusement. 

She  did  not,  however,  forsake  the  evil  of  her  ways, 
bxit  continued  her  course  of  wickedness.  Thus  she 
went  on  for  about  twenty  years,  when  she  lost  her 
only  child,  and  was  confined  for  several  months  by 


CLARINDA.  145 

severe  illness.  During  this  period  of  bodily  suffering, 
her  mind  was  brought  under  awful  convictions  for  sin : 
she  perceived  that  the  great  Jehovah  is  a  sin-hating 
and  sin-avenging  God,  and  that  He  will  by  no  means 
clear  the  guilty. 

She  remained  in  a  distressed  state  of  mind  for  about 
three  mouths,  and  when  a  little  bodily  strength  was 
restored,  she  sought  solitary  places,  where  she  poured 
out  her  soul  unto  the  Lord,  and  in  His  own  good  time 
He  spoke  peace  to  her  wounded  spirit.  One  day  being 
thus  engaged  in  earnest  prayer,  and  looking  xinto  the 
Lord  for  deliverance,  the  evening  approached  unre- 
garded, her  soul  was  deeply  humbled,  and  the  night 
passed  in  prayer,  while  rivers  of  tears  (to  xise  her  own. 
expressive  language)  ran  down  her  cheeks,  and  she 
ceased  not  to  implore  rnercy  from  Him.  who  is  able  to 
bind  up  the  broken-hearted. 

While  thus  engaged,  and  all  this  time  ignorant  of 
her  Saviour,  something  whispered  to  her  mind,  "  Ask 
in  the  name  of  Christ."  She  queried,  "  Who  is 
Christ  ?"  and  in.  reply,  these  passages  of  Scripture 
seemed  repeated  to  her :  "  Let  not  your  heart  be 
troubled  ;  ye  believe  in  God,  believe  also  in  Me."  "  In 
My  Father's  house  are  many  mansions :  I  go  to  pre- 
pare a  place  for  you,  that  where  I  am  there  ye  may  be 
also."  "  I  am  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life ;  no 
man  cometh  unto  the  Father  but  by  Me." 

Being  desirous  to  know  whence  these  impressions 
proceeded,  she  was  led  to  believe  that  they  were  re- 
ceived through  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  This 


146  CLARINDA. 

remarkable  passage  was  also  presented  to  her  mind  : 
"  Therefore,  being  justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace 
with  God  through  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ." 

She  now  felt  the  love  of  God  shed  abroad  in  her 
heart ;  the  overwhelming  burden  of  sin  was  removed, 
and  she  received  ability  to  sing  praises  to  the  Lord  on 
the  banks  of  deliverance. 

Having  been  thus  permitted  to  see  the  desire  of  her 
soul,  she  was  anxious  to  learn  more  of  the  divine  will, 
and  inquired,  like  the  apostle,  "  Lord,  what  wilt  Thou 
have  me  to  do  ?  "  and  like  him  she  was  commanded  to 
be  a  witness  of  what  she  had  seen  and  heard.  Believ- 
ing she  had  a  commission  given  her  to  preach  the 
Gospel,  she  began  to  warn  the  sinful  and  licentious, 
that  they  must  crucify  the  man  of  sin,  or  for  ever 
forego  the  hope  of  salvation. 

This  raised  her  a  host  of  enemies,  both  white  and 
colored ;  and  she  underwent,  many  years,  cruelty  and 
persecution  which  could  hardly  obtain  credence.  She 
bore  about  on  her  body  the  visible  marks  of  her  faith- 
ful allegiance  to  the  Lord  Jesus ;  yet,  while  alluding 
to  this,  tears  filled  her  eyes,  and  she  said  with  emotion, 
"  T  am  thankful  that  I  have  been  found  worthy  to  suf- 
fer for  my  blessed  Saviour." 

Although  living  in  great  poverty,  ani  subsisting  at 
times  on  casual  charity,  with  health  impaired  by  the 
sufferings  through  which  she  had  passe  :l,  yet  neither 
promises  of  protection,  accompanied  with  the  offer  of 
the  good  things  of  this  life,  on  the  one  hand,  nor  1  he 
dreadful  persecution  she  endured  on  the  other,  could 


CLARINDA.  147 

make  her  relinquish  the  office  of  a  minister  of  the 
Gospel. 

This  office  she  continued  to  exercise,  holding  meet- 
ings regularly  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  at  her  own 
little  habitation,  where  a  greater  number  at  times  as- 
sembled than  could  be  accommodated  in  the  house.  It 
may  be  interesting  to  add  some  particulars  relative  to 
the  trial  of  her  faith  and  the  persecution  she  suffered. 

One  individual  in  whose  neighborhood  she  lived, 
who  was  much  annoyed  by  hearing  her  sing  and  pray, 
offered,  if  she  would  desist,  to  provide  her  with  a  home 
and  the  comforts  of  life  ;  but  she  replied,  she  had  re- 
ceived a  commission  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  she 
would  preach  it  as  long  as  she  had  breath.  Several 
ill-intentioned  persons  one  night  surrounded  her  house, 
and  commanded  her  to  come  out  to  them.  This  she 
refused  to  do.  After  threatening  her  for  some  time, 
they  forced  open  the  door,  and  having  seized  their 
victim,  they  beat  her  cruelly,  so  that  her  head  was 
deeply  indented  with  the  blows  she  receiver]. 

At  another  time  she  was  so  much  injured  that  she 
was  left  nearly  lifeless  on  the  open  road,  whither  she 
had  fled  to  escape  from  them  ;  but  her  unsuccessful 
efforts  increased  the  rage  of  her  pursuers,  and  after 
treating  her  with  the  utmost  barbarity,  they  left  her. 
She  was  found  after  some  time,  but  so  exhausted  by 
the  loss  of  blood  that  she  was  unable  to  walk,  and 
from  the  effects  of  that  cruelty  she  did  not  recover  for 
years.  But  it  may  be  said  of  her,  that  she  joyfully 
bore  persecution  f  >r  Christ's  sake. 


148  CLARINDA. 

A  man  who  lived  in  the  same  village,  being  much 
incensed  at  the  undaunted  manner  in  which  she  stood 
forth  as  a  minister  of  the  meek  and  crucified  Saviour, 
swore  that  he  would  beat  her  severely  if  ever  he 
found  an  opportunity.  One  evening,  as  she  was 
walking  home  on  a  solitary  road,  she  saw  this  person 
riding  towards  her.  She  knew  his  intentions,  and 
from  his  character  she  did  not  doubt  that  he  would 
execute  them. 

She  trembled  from  head  to  foot,  escape  seemed 
impracticable,  and  prayer  was  her  only  refuge.  As 
he  advanced,  she  observed  that  his  handkerchief  fell 
and  was  wafted  by  the  wind  to  a  little  distance.  She 
picked  it  up,  he  stopped  his  horse,  and  she  handed 
it  to  him  in  a  submissive  manner ;  he  looked  at  her 
fiercely  for  a  moment,  when  his  countenance  soften- 
ed ;  he  took  it,  saying,  "  Well,  Clarinda,"  and  passed 
on. 

She  was  not  able  to  read  a  word  till  her  sixty-sixth 
year,  but  she  was  in  the  practice  of  getting  persons  to 
read  the  Holy  Scriptures  to  her,  much  of  which  she 
retained  in  her  memory  with  remarkable  accuracy. 
By  dint  of  application,  she  was  at  length  able  to  read 
them  herself ;  and  those  who  visited  her  in  advanced 
life,  found  her  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  as  well  as 
her  growth  in  grace,  very  surprising. 

When  she  was  one  hundred  years  old,  and  very 
feeble,  she  would,  if  able  to  get  out  of  bed,  on  the^ 
Sabbath  morning,  discharge  what  she  thought  to  be 
her  duty,  by  conversing  with  and  exhorting  both  the 


CLARINDA.  149 

white  aiid  colored  people  who  came  to  her  house, 
often  standing  for  half  an  hour  at  a  time.  Her  zeal 
was.  indeed  great,  and  her  faith  steadfast. 

She  said  she  often  wished  she  could  write,  that  she 
might  in  this  way  also  express  her  anxiety  for  the 
good  of  souls.  Then  she  would  have  described  more 
of  the  exercises  of  -her  mind  upon  the  depravity  of 
man  by  nature  and  by  practice,  with  the  unbounded 
and  redeeming  love  and  mercy  of  God  through  Jesus 
Christ. 

The  person  who  gives  the  account  of  Clarinda's 
death,  says,  "  I  was  prevented  from  seeing  her  often  in 
her  last  moments  ;  when  I  did  see  her  she  was  always 
the  same — her  one  theme  the  love  of  God  to  poor  sin- 
ners, which  was  always  her  style  of  speaking.  One 
clay,  as  I  sat  by  her  bedside,  she  said  to  me,  '  Do  you 
think  I  am  a  Christian  ?  '  '  Yes,'  I  answered,  '  I  do 
believe  you  are  a  Christian.'  '  I  have  tried  to  be,'  she 
replied,  '  but  now  that  I  suffer  in  my  body,  when  1 
think  what  an  unprofitable  servant  I  have  been,  I  am 
distressed,'  She  then  wept.  '  You  know,'  I  said, 
*  it  is  not  how  much  we  can  do,  but  what  we  do  sin- 
cerely for  the  love  of  Christ,  that  is  acceptable.'  She 
seemed  comforted,  and  talked  as  usual. 

"  She  showed  me  nmch  affection  when  I  left  her, 

saying,  '  I  shall  not  live  long,  my  dear ,'  and, 

adding  a  few  other  words,  blessed  me,  and  bid  me 
pray  for  her.  She  had  frequently  expressed  her  fears 
of  the  bodily  sufferings  of  death,  but  not  accompanied 
with  a  dread  of  eternal  death.  I  asked  her,  when  she 


150  NAIMBANNA. 

was  ill,  if  she  now  feared  to  die.  She  said  *  No  ;  this 
fear  was  taken,  away  some  time  previous  to  my  ill- 
ness.' " 

She  requested  that  her  people,  as  she  called  them, 
might  continue  to  meet  at  her  house,  but  this  was 
not  allowed.  I  am  told  they  sometimes  meet  else- 
where, and  are  called  "  Clarinda's  People."  When 
dying,  she  told  those  near  her  to  follow  her  only  as 
she  had  followed  Christ.  Her  death  occurred  in  1832. 
"  Those  that  be  planted  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  shall 
flourish  in  the  courts  of  our  God.  They  shall  bring 
forth  fruit  in  old  age." 

While  perusing  this  remarkable  account  of  "  a 
brand  plucked  from  the  burning,"  let  those  who  from 
their  earliest  years  have  enjoyed  the  inestimable  privi- 
lege of  access  to  the  sacred  volume,  and  various 
other  religious  means,  seriously  consider  the  blessed 
Saviour's  words  :  "  Unto  whomsoever  much  is  given, 
of  him  shall  be  much  required." 


NAIMBANNA. 

WHEN  the  Sierra  Leone  Company  was  first  settled, 
they  endeavored  to  bring  over  to  their  friendship  all 
the  petty  African  princes  in  their  neighborhood. 
Among  others,  they  applied  to  a  chief  of  the  name  of 
Naimbanna,  who  was  remarkable  for  a  good  disposi- 
tion and  an  acute  understanding.  lie  easily  saw 


KAIMBANNA.  151 

that  the   intention  of  the  company  was  friendly   to 
Africa,  and  entered  into  amity  with  them. 

They  spoke  to  him  about  the  slave  trade,  and  gave 
him  reasons  for  wishing  to  have  it  abolished.  He 
was  convinced  of  its  wickedness,  and  declared  that 
not  one  of  his  subjects  should  ever  go  into  slavery 
again.  By  degrees,  they  began  to  talk  to  him  about 
religion,  but  he  was  rather  wary  on  that  head.  It 
seems  he  had  formed  some  prejudices  against  Christi- 
anity. 

Finding,  however,  that  the  Company's  factory  con- 
tained a  very  good  sort  of  people,  and  that  they  lived 
happily  among  themselves,  he  began  to  think  more 
favorably  of  their  religion ;  but  he  was  still  backward 
either  in  receiving  it  himself,  or  in  making  it  the 
religion  of  his  country.  He  was  well  convinced  of 
the  barbarous  state  of  his  own  people,  on  a  compari- 
son with  Europeans,  and  he  wished  for  nothing  more 
than  a  reformation  among  them,  especially  in  reli- 
gion. 

But  as  he  found  there  were  several  kinds  (or  forms) 
of  religion  in  the  world,  he  wished  to  know  which 
was  the  best  before  he  introduced  either  of  them.  To 
ascertain  this  point  as  well  as  he  could,  he  took  the 
following  method :  He  sent  one  of  his  sons  into 
Turkey,  among  the  Mohammedans ;  a  second  into 
Portugal,  among  the  Papists  ;  and  the  third  he  recom- 
mended to  the  Sierra  Leone  Company,  desiring  they  . 
would  send  him  to  England,  to  be  there  instructed  in 
the  religion  of  that  country. 


152  NAIMBANXA. 

It  appears  he  meant  to  be  directed  by  the  reports 
of  his  sons  in  the  choice  of  a  national  religion.  Of 
the  two  former  of  these  young  men,  we  have  no  par- 
ticulars, only  that  one  of  them  became  very  vicious. 
The  last  mentioned,  though  I  believe  the  eldest,  bore 
his  father's  name,  Naimbanna.  The  Sierra  Leone 
Company  received  the  charge  of  him  with  great 
pleasure,' believing  that  nothing  could  have  a  better 
effect  in  promoting  their  benevolent  schemes,  than 
making  him  a  good  Christian. 

Young  Naimbanna  was  a  perfect  African  in  form, 
and  had  the  features  with  which  the  African  face  is 
commonly  marked. ,  While  he  was  with  the  Com- 
pany, he  seemed  a  well-disposed  tractable  youth ;  but 
when  opposed,  he  was  impatient,  fierce,  and  subject 
to  violent  passion.  In  the  first  ship  that  sailed  he 
was  sent  to  England,  where  he  arrived  in  the  year 
1791. 

We  may  imagine  with  what  astonishment  he  sur- 
veyed every  object  that  came  before  him  :  but  his 
curiosity,  in  prudent  hands,  became,  from  the  first 
the  medium  of  useful  instruction.  During  his  voyage 
he  acquired  some  knowledge  of  the  English  language  ; 
and  although  he  could  not  speak  it  with  any  degree 
of  fluency,  he  could  understand  much  of  what  he 
heard  spoken,  which  greatly  facilitated  his  learning  it, 
when  he  applied  to  it  in  a  more  regular  way. 

The  difliculty  of  learning  to  speak  and  read  being  in 
a  great  degree  subdued,  he  was  put  upon  the  grand 
point  for  which  he  was  sent  to  England — that  of  being 


NAIMBAIWA.  153 

instructed  in  the  Christian  religion.  The  gentlemen 
to  whose  care  he  had  been  recommended,  alternately 
took  him  under  their  protection  ;  and  each  gave  up 
his  whole  time  to  him,  faithfully  discharging  the 
trust  which  he  had  vohintarily,  and  without  any 
emolument,  undertaken. 

Naimbanna  was  first  made  acquainted  with  tho 
value  of  the  Bible  ;  the  most  material  parts  of  the 
Old  Testament,  as  well  as  the  New,  were  explained  to 
him.  The  great  necessity  of  a  Saviour,  for  the  sinful- 
ness  of  man,  was  pointed  out ;  the  end  and  design  of 
Christianity,  its  doctrines,  its  precepts,  and  its  sanc- 
tions, were  all  made  intelligible  to  him.  With  a 
clearness  of  understanding  which'  astonished  those 
who  took  the  care  of  instructing  him,  he  made  those 
divine  truths  familiar  to  his  mind.  He  received  the 
Gospel  with  joy,  and  carried  it  home  to  his  heart  as 
the  means  of  happiness  both  in  this  world  and  the 
next. 

His  love  for  reading  the  Scriptures,  and  hearing 
them  read,  was  such  that  he  never  was  tired  of  the 
exercise.  Every  other  part  of  learning  that  he  was 
put  upon,  as  arithmetic,  for  instance,  was  heavy  work 
with  him,  and  he  soon  began  to  complain  of  fatigue  ; 
but  even  when  he  was  most  fatigued,  if  he  was  asked 
to  read  in  the  Bible,  he  was  always  ready,  and  gener- 
ally expressed  his  readiness  by  some  emotions  of  joy. 

In  short,  he  considered  the  Bible  as  the  rule  which 
was  to  direct  his  life  ;  and  he  made  a  real  use  of  every 
piece  of  instruction  which  he  obtained  from  it.  This 


]  54  XAIMBASNA. 

was  evident  in  all  his  actions.  If  his  behavior  was 
at  any  time  wroug,  and  a  passage  of  Scripture  was 
shown  to  him,  which  forbade  such  behavior,  whatever 
it  was,  he  instantly  complied  with  the  rule  he  received. 
Of  this  them  were  many  instances. 

One  related  to  dress.  He  had  a  little  vanity  about 
him,  was  fond  of  finery,  admired  it  in  other  people, 
and  was  always  ready  to  adorn  himself.  His  kind 
instructors  told  him  these  were  childish  inclinations ; 
that  decency  and  propriety  of  dress  are  pleasing,  but 
that  foppery  is  disgusting.  Above  all,  they  told  him 
that  the  Christian  is  ordered  to  be  "  clothed  with 
humility,  and  to  put  on  the  ornament  of  a  meek  and 
quiet  spirit."  Such  passages,  whenever  they  were 
suggested  to  him,  checked  all  the  little  vanities  of  his 
heart>,  and  made  him  ashamed  of  what  he  had  just 
before  so  eagerly  desired. 

The  irritable  passions,  where  lay  his  weakest  side, 
were  conquered  in  the  same  way.  His  friends  once 
carried  him  to  the  House  of  Commons,  to  hear  a 
debate  on  the  slave  trade,  which  Colonel  Tarlton  de- 
fended with  some  warmth.  When  Naimbanna  came 
out  of  the  house,  he  exclaimed,  with  great  vehemence 
and  indignation,  that  he  would  kill  that  man  where- 
ever  he  met  him  ;  for  he  told  stories  of  his  country. 
He  told  people  that  his  countrymen  would  not  work, 
and  that  was  a  great  story.  His  countrymen  would 
work ;  but  Englishmen  would  not  buy  work ;  they 
would  buy  only  men. 

His  friends  told  him  that  he  should  not  be  angry 


NAIMBANNA.  155 

with  Colonel  Tarlton,  for  perhaps  he  had  been  misin 
formed,  and  knew  no  better.  Besides,  they  told  him 
that,  at  any  rate,  he  had  no  right  to  kill  him  :  for  the 
Almighty  says,  "  Vengeance  is  mine,  I  will  repay, 
saith  the  Lord."  This  calmed  him  in  a  moment ; 
and  he  never  afterward  expressed  the  least  indig- 
nation toward  Colonel  Tarlton ;  but  he  would  have 
been  ready  to  show  him  any  friendly  office  if  it  had 
fallen  in  his  way. 

At  another  time,  when  he  saw  a  drayman  using  his 
horse  ill,  he  became  enraged,  and  declared  he  would 
get  a  gun  and  shoot  that  fellow  directly.  But  his 
anger  was  presently  assuaged  by  this  or  some  similar 
passage  of  Scripture  :  "  Be  ye  angry,  and  sin  not ;  let 
not  the  sun  go  down  upon  your  wrath."  He  showed 
so  much  tenderness  of  conscience  that  he  seemed  anx- 
ious about  nothing  but  to  know  what  his  religion 
required  him  to  do. 

When  he  could  determine  the  rectitude  of  an  action, 
he  set  an  example  even  to  Christians,  by  showing  that 
he  thought  there  was  no  difficulty  in  the  performance. 
He  said  his  father  had  ordered  him,  when  he  arrived 
in  England,  never  to  drink  more  at  one  time  than  a 
single  glass  of  wine ;  and  he  considered  his  father's 
injunction  as  sacred.  On  this  head,  therefore,  all  the 
instruction  which  he  wanted  was  to  turn  his  temper- 
ance into  a  Christian  virtue,  by  practising  it  with  a 
sincere  desire  to  please  God. 

In  the  gay  scenes  which  often  presented  themselves 
to  his  view,  he  never  mixed.  His  friends  were  very 


156  NAIMBAXXA.  ^ 

solicitous  to  keep  him  from  all  dissipation,  which 
might  have  corrupted  the  beautiful  simplicity  of  mind 
that  was  so  characteristic  in  him.  He  was  fond  of 
riding  on  horseback,  but  when  he  got  upon  a  horse,  it 
was  difficult  to  govern  his  desire  for  rapid  motion. 
After  remaining  in  England  a  year  and  a  half,  and 
being  carefully  instructed  in  the  Christian  religion,  he 
only  waited  for  an  opportunity  of  returning  home, 
which .  did  not  occur  for  five  or  six  months  after- 
ward. 

In  the  meantime,  two  great  points  were  the  burden 
of  his  thoughts,  and  gave  him  much  distress.  The 
first  related  to  his  father,  whose  death  he  heard  had 
happened  about  a  year  after  he  left  the  country.  The 
principal  cause  of  his  solicitude  was  his  uncertainty 
whether  his  father  had  died  a  Christian.  He  knew 
that  he  had  been  well  disposed  toward  Christianity, 
but  he  had  never  heard  whether  he  had  fully  em- 
braced it. 

His  other  difficulty  regarded  himself.  He  had  now 
attained  the  end  at  which  he  had  aimed.  He  had 
been  instructed  in  a  religion  which  he  was  convinced 
would  promote  the  happiness  of  his  people  if  it  could 
be  established  among  them.  But  how  was  that  to  be 
done  ?  "With  regard  to  himself,  he  had  had  wise  and 
learned  men  to  instruct  him.  But  what  coTild  his 
abilities  do  in  such  a  work — especially  considering 
the  wild  and  savage  manners  of  his  countrymen  ?  In 
every  light,  the  greatness  of  the  attempt  perplexed 
him. 


NAIMBANNA.  157 

With  a  mind  distressed  by  these  difficulties,  he 
took  an  affectionate  leave  of  his  kind  friends  in  Eng- 
land, and  embarked  for  Africa  in  one  of  the  Com- 
pany's ships,  which  was  named  after  him,  the  Naim- 
banna.  Though  he  had  shown  great  affection  for  his 
own  country  and  relations,  yet  the  kindness  which  he 
had  received  from  his  friends  in  England  had  im- 
pressed him  strongly ;  and  it  was  not  without  a  great 
struggle  that  he  broke  away  from  them  at  last. 

The  distress  he  felt  was  increased  by  the  society  he 
mixed  in  at  sea — being  very  different  from  that  which 
he  had  left  behind.  The  profligate  manners  and 
licentious  language  of  the  ship's  company  shocked 
him  exceedingly.  The  purity  of  his  mind  could  not 
bear  it.  He  had  hoped,  that  in  a  Christian  country 
he  should  always  find  himself  among  Christians,  but 
he  was  greatly  disappointed. 

The  company  he  was  in  appeared  to  him  as  ignor- 
ant and  uninformed  as  his  own  countrymen,  and 
much  less  innocent  in  their  manners.  At  length,  the 
oaths  and  abominable  conversation  which  he  continu- 
ally heard,  affected  him  so  much  that  he  complained 
to  the  captain  of  the  ship,  and  desired  him  to  put  a 
stop  to  so  indecent  language.  The  captain  endeavored 
to  check  it,  but  with  little  effect,  which  gave  Nairn- 
banna  increased  distress. 

But  still  the  great  burden  of  his  mind,  was  the 
difficulty  which  he  foresaw  in  the  attempt  to  intro- 
duce Christianity  among  his  countrymen.  Many  were 
the  schemes  he  thought  of ;  but  insuperable  obstacles 


158  NAIMBANNA. 

seemed  to  arise  on  every  side.  All  this  perplexity, 
which  his  active  and  generous  mind  underwent,  re- 
coiled  upon  himself. 

His  thoughts  were  continually  on  the  stretch,  and 
this,  it  was  supposed,  at  length  occasioned  a  fevei-, 
which  seized  him  when  his  voyage  was  nearly  at  an 
end.  His  malady  increasing,  it  was  attended  with 
delirium,  which  left  him  only  a  few  lucid  intervals. 
In  these,  his  mind  always  shone  out  full  of  religious 
hope  and  patient  resignation  to  the  will  of  God. 

In  one  of  these  intervals,  he  told  Mr.  Graham,  a 
fellow-passenger  with  whom  he  was  most  intimate, 
that  he  began  to  think  he  should  be  called  away 
before  he  had  an  opportunity  to  tell  his  mother  of  the 
mercies  of  God  toward  him,  and  of  his  obligations  to 
the  Sierra  Leone  Company.  He  then  desired  him  to 
write  his  will,  which  he  began  in  the  presence  of 
Captain  Wooles  and  James  Cato,  a  servant  that 
attended  ISTaimbauna. 

When  Mr.  Graham  had  written  a  considerable  part, 
as  particularly  directed,  manifesting  the  feelings  and 
generosity  of  his  heart,  Naimbanna  complained  of 
fatigue,  and  said  he  would  finish  it  after  he  had  taken 
a  little  rest.  But  his  fever  came  on  with  increased 
violence,  and  his  delirium  scarcely  ever  left  him  after- 
ward. 

The  night  after,  the  vessel,  though  close  to  the 
African  coast,  durst  not  attempt  to  land,  as  the  wind 
was  contrary,  and  there  was  danger  of  running  on  the 
Scarries  bauk.  Next  morning,  though,  the  wind  con- 


NAIMBAXNA.  159 

tinned  contrary,  Mr.  Graham  went  off  to  the  settle- 
ment in  an  open  boat  to  procure  medical  aid.  But 
when  the  physician  came  on  board,  Naimbanna  was 
just  alive;  and  in  that  state  he  was  carried  to  the 
settlement,  the  next  morning,  July  17th,  1793,  when 
the  ship  came  to  anchor. 

On  the  first  account  of  his  illness,  an  express  was 
sent  to  inform  his  friends  at  Robanna ;  and  soon  after 
he  was  lauded,  his  mother,  brothers,  sisters,  and  rela- 
tives came  to  the  settlement.  The  distracted  looks 
of  his  mother,  and  the  wildness  of  his  sisters'  grief, 
affected  everyone.  His  cousin  Henry,  an  ingenuous 
youth,  who  stood  among  them,  attracted  the  attention 
of  all  by  the  solemn  sorrow  of  his  countenance,  which 
seemed  to  discover  a  heart  full  of  tenderness  and  woe. 
In  the  meantime,  the  dying  yoxith  appeared  every 
moment  drawing  nearer  the  close  of  life. 

His  voice  failing  more  and  more,  the  little  he  said 
was  with  difficulty  understood.  Once  or  twice,  those 
who  stood  around  him  caught  hold  of  something  like 
our  Saviour's  words :  "  Many  are  called,  but  few 
chosen."  About  an  hour  before  he  died,  his  voice 
wholly  failed.  He  was  awhile  restless  and  uneasy, 
till,  turning  his  head  on  his  pillow,  he  found  an  easier 
posture,  and  lay  perfectly  quiet. 

About  seven  in  the  evening  of  the  day  on  which  he 
was  brought  on  shore,  he  expired  without  a  groan. 
When  his  mother  and  other  relatives  found  his 
breath  was  gone,  their  shrieks  and  agonizing  cries 
were  distr.esbiug  beyond  measure,  lu&tantly,  ua  a 


160  ZILPAH    MONTJOY. 

kind  of  frantic  madness,  they  snatched  up  his  body, 
hurried  it  into  a  canoe,  and  went  off  with  it  to 
Robanna.  Some  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  factory  im- 
mediately followed  in  boats,  with  a  coffin. 

When  the  corpse  was  laid  decently  into  it,  Mr. 
Home,  the  clergyman,  read  the  funeral  service  over 
it,  amid  a  number  of  people,  and  finished  with  an 
extempore  prayer.  The  ceremony  was  conducted  with 
so  much  solemnity,  and  performed  in  so  affecting 
a  manner,  that  the  impression  was  communicated 
throughout  the  whole  crowd.  They  drew  closer  and 
closer,  as  Mr.  Home  continued  to  speak  ;  and  though 
they  understood  not  a  syllable  of  what  he  said,  they 
listened  to  him  with  great  attention,  and  bore  wit- 
ness, with  every  mark  of  sorrow,  to  the  powers  of 
sympathy. 

After  the  ceremony  was  over,  the  gentlemen  of  the 
factory  retired  to  their  boats,  leaving  the  corpse,  as 
his  friend  desired,  to  be  buried  according  to  the  cus- 
tom of  the  country. 


ZILPAH  MONTJOY. 

IN  the  year  1821,  died,  in  the  city  of  New  York, 
an  aged  woman  of  color,  named  Zilpah  Montjoy ; 
whose  pious  circumspect  life  rendered  her  an  object 
of  peculiar  interest  to  many  of  her  acquaintances  ;  to 
some  of  these,  whose  friendly  notice  she  had  experi- 


ZILPAH    MONTJOY.  161 

enced,  she  more  than  once  related  the  following  cir- 
cumstance : — 

Being  a  slave,  inured  to  hard  labor,  she  was 
brought  up  in  such  extreme  ignorance  as  to  have  no 
idea  that  she  was  an  accountable  being — that  there 
was  a  future  state — not  even  that  death  was  univer- 
sal, until  the  sixteenth  year  of  her  age,  when  a  girl  of 
her  own  color  dying  in  the  neighborhood,  she  was 
permitted  to  attend  the  funeral. 

The  minister's  text  was,  "  Man  that  is  born  of  a 
woman  is  of  few  days  and  full  of  trouble  :  he  cometh 
forth  like  a  flower,  and  is  cut  down:  he  fleeth  also  as 
a  shadow,  and  continueth  not !  "  by  which  and  subse- 
quent remarks,  she  understood  that  all  were  to  die ; 
that  there  was  a  state  of  existence  after  death,  a  pre- 
paration for  which  was  necessary  while  here. 

She  was  much  affected,  and  returned  home  in  great 
agitation.  Revolving  these  things  in  her  mind  for 
several  days,  she  at  length  asked  her  mistress  whether 
she  had  understood  right,  that  all  must  die.  The  re- 
ply was,  "  Go  to  your  work."  She  continued  thus 
exercised  for  a  considerable  time,  earnestly  desiring 
to  know  what  she  had  to  do,  but  had  no  one  to  give 
her  instruction. 

In  this  tried  state,  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  reveal 
Himself,  and  impress  on  her  untaught  mind  a  belief 
in  an  omnipotent  and  omniscient  Being,  and  that  His 
law  was  written  on  the  heart.  Thus,  gradually  be- 
coming calm  and  settled,  her  confidence  was  made 
strong  in  Him,  who,  hiding  His  counsels  from  the  wise 


162  ZILPAH   MONTJOY. 

and  prudent  in  their  own  eyes,  "  hath  revealed  them 
unto  babes."  And  it  is  believed  she  was  from  that 
time  guarded  and  careful  in  her  conduct. 

She  married,  and  had  two  daughters,  one  of  whom 
was  taken  at  an  early  age,  and  placed  at  so  great  a 
distance  from  hef  that  she  never  saw  her  after.  The 
other  died  when  about  grown,  and  being  also  be- 
reaved of  her  husband,  she  was  very  lonely.  But  un- 
der these  trials  she  appears  to  have  been  sustained,  as 
was  David  when  he  could  say,  "  Thy  rod  and  thy 
stafl"  they  comfort  me." 

She  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  a 
diligent  attender  of  their  meetings  as  long  as  her 
strength  permitted.  When  she  was  (as  near  as  can 
be  ascertained)  about  sixty-eight  years  old,  the  Clark- 
son  Association  for  teaching  colored  women  to  read 
and  write  was  established. 

And  when  she  received  the  information,  she  offered 
herself  as  a  scholar,  but  the  teachers  endeavored  to 
dissuade  her,  telling  her  she  was  too  old  to  begin,  as 
she  did  not  know  a  letter,  and  her  sight  was  so  im- 
paired as  to  require  two  pairs  of  spectacles  ;  she  how- 
ever urged  admittance,  stating  that  her  only  motive 
was  a  desire  to  be  able  to  read  the  Bible,  and  she  be- 
lieved "  the  Lord  would  help  her,"  adding,  "  We  are 
never  too  old  to  do  good." 

And  being  admitted,  she  was  very  diligent  in  her 
attendance,  and  by  great  perseverance  became  able  to 
read  a  little  in  the  New  Testament ;  and  one  with 
large  print  being  given  her,  she  prized  it  very  highly, 


ZILPAH    MONT  JOY.  163 

and  would  frequently  open  it  and  read  one  of  the 
chapters  contained  in  Christ's  sermon  on  the  mount, 
calling  it  "  the  blessed  chapter." 

But  notwithstanding  her  gi-eat  desire  to  learn,  she 
did  not  allow  her  studies  to  interfere  with  her  religious 
engagements;  and  the  time  for  meeting  with  her  class 
being  fixed  on  one  of  the  afternoons  that  the  school 
was  taught,  it  was  inconvenient  to  her ;  but  as  the 
school  commenced  at  three  o'clock,  and  the  meeting 
at  four,  the  hour  between  she  generally  spent  at  the 
school,  staying  as  long  as  it  would  do,  and  then  going 
as  quickly  as  she  could,  to  be  punctual  to  the  time. 
Sometimes  she  has  been  seen  running,  when  she  heard 
the  clock  strike  and  found  herself  a  little  too  late. 

She  was  industrious  and  frugal,  but  liberated  late 
in  life,  she  barely  procured  a  subsistence ;  and  for  the 
last  two  or  three  years,  being  nearly  past  labor,  she 
was  dependent  on  the  benevolence  of  others :  but  at 
no  time,  however  destitute  and  tried,  did  she  lose  her 
confidence  in  the  power  of  Him  "  who  provideth  for 
the  raven  his  food,"  often  saying  at  such  seasons, 
"  The  Lord  has  been  my  helper,  and  I  trust  in  Him." 
And  when  any  favor  was  conferred  on  her,  she  feel- 
ingly expressed  her  gratitude,  yet  mostly  with  refer- 
ence to  the  Great  Supreme,  for  giving  her  friends  so 
kind. 

At  a  certain  time,  a  friend,  being  unusually  thought- 
ful about  her,  went  to  see  how  she  was  situated,  tak- 
ing with  her  a  loaf  of  bread.  She  found  her  unable 
to  go  out,  and  without  provision  ;  and  querying  with 


164  BELINDA   LUCAS. 

her,  "  Zilpah,  art  thou  here  alone?"  she  replied, 
"  No,  I  am  never  alone  ;  rny  Master  is  with  me.  When 
I  awake  in  the  night  season  he  talks  with  me.  He 
has  promised  to  take  care  of  me,  and  He  has  done  it; 
He  has  now  sent  me  that  loaf  of  bread."  At  another 
time,  she  said  to  a  person  who  visited  her,  "  How  good 
the  Lord  is  ;  I  have  always  something  to  eat,  for  if  I 
take  my  last  morsel,  some  one  comes  and  brings  me 
more  before  I  want  again." 

Her  understanding  failed,  so  that  for  several  weeks 
before  her  death  she  knew  very  little ;  but  her  con- 
versation was  innocent,  sometimes  saying,  "  If  it  is 
the  Lord's  will  to  take  me,  I  am  willing  to  go,  but  I 
must  wait  His  time."  And  He  was  pleased  to  release 
her,  after  a  short  confinement,  without  any  apparent 
disease  but  the  decline  of  nature,  about  the  seventy- 
ninth  year  of  her  age. 


BELINDA  LUCAS. 

A  WOMAN  of  color,  living  in  Chrystie  street,  New 
York,  is  now,  1825,  about  one  hundred  years  old. 
She  retains  her  faculties  remarkably  well,  and  she  re- 
cently gave  the  following  account  of  herself:  "  When 
I  was  a  small  child  in  Africa,  being  one  day  at  play 
in  the  woods,  some  people  came  along ;  one  of  whom 
catched  me,  and  throwing  me  over  his  shoulder,  ran 
away  with  me.  After  he  had  gone  some  distance,  he 
put  me  down  and  whipped  me  to  make  me  run. 

"  When  we  came  to  the  water,  they  put  me  into  the 


BELINDA    LUCAS.  165 

ship  and  carried  me  to  Antigua.  Soon  after,  the  cap- 
tain of  a  vessel  from  New  York,  taking  a  liking  to 
me,  bought  me,  and  brought  me  here.  I  was  then  so 
little,  that  I  slept  sometimes  at  my  mistress's  feet.  I 
think  there  was  only  one  house  for  worship  in  the 
city  then  ;  and  I  remember  very  well  that  up  Broad- 
way there  were  only  a  few  small  houses  ;  and  where 
the  college  (in  Park  Place)  stands  it  was  woods. 

"  I  was  sold  several  times,  married  twice,  and  had 
one  child  that  died  young.  I  was  baptized  in  St. 
Paul's  church,  not  long  after  it  was  built ;  and  when 
I  was  about  forty  years  old,  I  bought  my  freedom  for 
twenty  pounds.  Not  long  after  I  married  my  last 
husband,  I  paid  for  his  freedom,  and  we  went  to 
Charleston.  After  living  there  about  seven  years,  he 
died  ;  and  knowing  I  had  many  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances in  New  York,  I  came  back. 

"  I  brought  a  hundred  dollars  with  me,  which  I  put 
into  the  church  stock.  From  that  I  have  received 
seven  dollars  every  year,  and  with  it  I  buy  my  winter 
firewood.  By  working  early  and  late,  besides  my 
day's  work,  I  earned  money,  and  got  a  life  lease  of 
this  spot  of  ground,  and  built  this  house ;  and  in  this 
room"  (which  is  on  the  first  floor)  "I  have  lived 
many  years. 

"  The  upper  part  I  rent ;  but  sometimes  the  people 
have  been  poor,  and  could  not  pay  me ;  then  I  lost 
it;  but  these  people  pay  me  very  well.  I  have  been 
asked  many  times  to  sell  it,  but  I  think  it  is  much 
better  for  me  to  stay  quietly  here  than  to  be  moving 


106  BELINDA    LUCAS. 

about :  and  besides,  I  let  Mr.  have  fifty  dol- 
lars, and  when  he  failed,  I  lost  it ;  and  the  bad  folks 
have  several  times  taken  money  out  of  my  chest ;  and 
I  was  afraid,  if  I  did  sell,  1  should  lose  that  also,  and 
then  I  should  be  very  bad  off. 

"  As  I  have  no  relation  of  my  own,  when  I  am 
gone,  and  don't  want  these  things  any  more,  they  are 
to  be  divided  among  my  husband's  folks."  A  person 
present  told  her  she  should  have  a  writing  drawn,  to 
tell  how  they  should  be  divided  ;  saying,  "  Perhaps 
they  will  quarrel  about  it."  She  said,  "  I  have  told 
them  if  they  did,  them  that  quarrelled  must  not  have 
anything." 

When  asked  if  she  could  read,  she  answered,  "  Yes  ; 
when  I  was  young  I  learned  to  spell  a  little,  but  I  did 
not  know  how  to  put  the  words  together,  till  I  went 
to  the  Clarkson  school.  There  I  learned  to  read  ;  and 
though  I  can't  read  all  the  hard  words  in  the  Bible,  I 
can  read  Matthew  and  John  very  well."  A  represen- 
tation of  the  crucifixion  of  Christ  hanging  over  the 
chimney-piece,  she  pointed  to  it,  and  explained  it  very 
intelligibly,  remarking  that,  "  To  Mary,  who  was 
kneeling  near  the  cross,  it  was  said,  '  Woman,  behold 
thy  Son,'  and  to  one  of  those  standing  by,  '  Behold 
thy  Mother.' " 

This  representation  appeared  to  afford  her  much 
interest  in  contemplating  it,  though  she  looked  only 
to  the  Lord  for  consolation,  and  several  times,  while 
giving  this  account,  testified  of  His  goodness  and 
mercy  to  her ;  saying,  "  It  is  the  Lord's  will  that  I 


BELINDA    LUCAS.  167 

should  be  so  comfortably  provided  for.  When  I  was 
younger,  and  worked  so  steadily,  the  .people  used  to 
say,  '  Belinda,  what  do  you  work  so  hard  for,  and  lay 
up  money?  you  have  no  children  to  take  it  when  you 
are  gone.' 

"  I  did  not  know  then,  but  the  Lord  knew  that  I 
was  to  live  a  great  while,  and  He  put  it  into  my  heart 
to  do  so,  and  now  I  have  plenty,  and  trouble  nobody 
for  a  living.  I  am  unwell  this  morning,  but  by  and 
by,  when  I  feel  better,  I  intend  to  clean  up.  I  used 
to  live  very  snug  and  comfortable  ;  I  can't  get  any- 
body now  to  put  up  my  things  for  me  so  well  as  I  can. 
do  it  for  myself."  Her  bed  had  curtains,  and  appeared 
to  have  comfortable  covering  on  it.  She  had  a  look- 
ing-glass, an  arm-chair,  a  carpet  on  her  floor,  and 
other  necessary  furniture. 

She  further  said,  "  When  I  was  able,  I  went  often 
to  see  the  sick,  and  the  suffering  poor,  and  do  some- 
thing for  them,  and  1  sometimes  prayed  by  their  bed- 
side ;  "  and  added,  "  I  believe  the  Lord  heard  my 
prayers."  Placing  her  hands  in  an  attitude  of  sup- 
plication, and  turning  her  eyes  upward,  "I  of  ten  pray 
now,  and  I  leave  it  to  Him,  and  He  gives  me  what  I 
pray  for.  If  He  thinks  it  best  for  me  to  live  longer 
yet,  I  am  willing  to  stay  ;  and  if  He  thinks  best  to 
take  me  away,  I  am  ready  to  go." 

On  being  asked  how  old  she  was,  she  replied, 
"When  Peter  Williams  was  going  to  Hayti,  and  he 
came  to  see  me  and  bid  me  farewell,  he  said,  '  Be- 
linda, I  have  been  calculating  your  age,  as  near  as  I 


168  BELINDA   LUCAS. 

can  from  circumstances,  and  I  believe  you  are  about 
a  hundred  years  old.'  I  thought  I  was  older,  but  I 
suppose  he  must  be  correct. 

"  I  used  to  work  for  the  rich  folks,  and  they  seem- 
ed to  love  me,  and  treated  me  very  kindly.  Mrs. 

T ,  and  Mrs.  H ,  and  many  others,  have 

been  to  see  me  a  great  many  times.  Mr.  Livingston, 
the  lawyer,  who  died  at  Washington,  you  remember 
— with  his  first  wife's  father,  Mr.  Kittletas,  I  lived, 
and  of  him  I  bought  my  freedom.  And  when  I  went 
to  Mr.  Livingston's,  he  would  say,  '  Why,  Belinda, 
you  have  a  long  life  of  it  here.'  I  would  say,  '  Yes, 
master,  the  Lord  knows,  but  I  don't,  why  I  stay  so 
long ' — but,  dear  man,  he  is  gone  !  " 

On  being  asked  why  she  lived  alone,  she  said,  "  If 
I  have  somebody  with  me,  they  will  want  other  com- 
pany, and  that  will  make  more  noise  than  I  like.  I 
love  to  be  still ;  then  I  can  think.  And  when  I  am 
sick,  the  people  up  stairs  are  kind  to  me,  and  do  what 
little  I  want  done." 

When  speaking  of  reading,  she  said,  I  met  with  a 
bad  accident  lately;  I  dropped  my  spectacles  in  the 
fire,  and  it  spoiled  them  :  when  I  can  get  into  the 

Bowery,  to  Mr.  's  store,  I  can  get  another 

pair ;  but  nobody  can  get  them  for  me — they  would 
not  know  how  to  suit  my  eyes — and  then  I  always 
pay  cash  for  what  I  get — I  have  found  it  the  best 
way.  In  all  my  life  long,  there  has  never  anybody 
had  the  scratch  of  a  pen  against  me.  I  have  been 
saving  too :  them  plates  there "  (pointing  to  her 


GUSTAVUS   VASSA.  169 

closet),   "  I  brought  them  with  me  from  Charleston 
before  Washington's  war." 

In  this  unpolished  narrative,  we  see  the  benefit  of 
acquiring  steady  habits  in  early  life — of  honest,  per- 
severing industry — and  frugality  in  the  use  of  what 
was  so  obtained.  From  the  one  hundred  dollars  put 
into  church  stock,  she  has  in  fifty  years  received 
three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars ;  and  in  such  a  way  as 
to  be  partictilarly  useful  to  her.  Her  pious  care  of 
the  sick ;  her  quiet,  decent,  and  comely  way  of  liv- 
ing ;  and  her  exertions  in  learning  to  read,  even  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty  years,  are  also  worthy  of 
particular  notice. 


GUSTAVUS   YASSA. 

TAKEN  PROM  HIS  NARRATIVE,  WRITTEN  ABOUT  THE 
YEAR  1787. 

"  I  OFFER  here  neither  the  history  of  a  saint,  a 
hero,  nor  a  tyrant.  I  believe  there  are  few  events 
in  my  life,  which  have  not  happened  to  many ;  but 
when  I  compare  my  lot  with  that  of  many  of  my 
countrymen,  I  acknowledge  the  mercies  of  Providence 
in  the  occurrences  that  have  taken  place. 

"  That  part  of  Africa  known  by  the  name  of 
Guinea,  to  which  the  trade  for  slaves  is  carried  on, 
extends  along  the  coast  above  3,400  miles,  from  Sene- 
gal to  Angola,  and  includes  a  variety  of  kingdoms. 


170  GUSTAVUS   VASSA. 

The  most  considerable  of  these  is  Benin,  as  it  respects 
its  extent,  wealth,  and  richness  of  soil.  It  is  bounded 
on  the  sea  170  miles,  and  its  interior  seems  only  ter- 
minated by  the  empire  of  Abyssinia,  near  1,500  miles 
from  its  first  boundaries. 

"  In  one  of  the  most  remote  and  fertile  provinces 
of  this  kingdom  I  was  born,  in  the  year  1745.  As 
our  country  is  one  where  nature  is  prodigal  of  her 
favors,  our  wants,  which  are  few,  are  easily  supplied. 
All  our  industry  is  turned  to  the  improvement  of 
those  blessings,  and  we  are  habituated  to  labor  from 
our  early  years ;  and  by  this  means  we  have  no 
beggars. 

"  Our  houses  never  exceed  one  story,  and  are  built 
of  wood,  thatched  with  reeds,  and  the  floors  are  gener- 
ally covered  with  mats.  The  dress  of  both  sexes  con- 
sists of  a  long  piece  of  calico  or  muslin,  wrapped 
loosely  round  the  body  ;  our  beds  are  also  covered 
with  the  same  kind  of  cloth  ;  this  the  women  make 
when  they  are  not  engaged  in  labor  with  the  men. 
Our  tillage  is  in  a  large  common,  and  all  the  people 
resort  thither  in  a  body  and  unite  in  the  labor. 

"  My  father  being  a  man  of  rank,  had  a  numerous 
family ;  his  children  consisted  of  one  daughter,  and 
a  number  of  sons,  of  which  I  was  the  youngest.  As 
I  generally  attended  my  mother,  she  took  great  pains 
in  forming  my  mind,  and  training  me  to  exercise.  In 
this  way,  I  grew  up  to  about  the  eleventh  year  of  my 
age,  when  an  end  was  pxit  to  my  happiness  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner : 


GUSTAVUS    VASSA.  171 

"  One  day,  when  all  our  people  were  gone  to  their 
work,  and  only  my  dear  sister  and  myself  were  left 
to  watch  the  house,  two  men  and  a  woman  came,  and 
seizing  us  both,  stopped  our  mouths  that  we  should 
not  make  a  noise,  and  ran  off  with  us  into  the  woods, 
where  they  tied  our  hands,  and  took  us  some  distance, 
to  a  smalfr  house,  where  we  stayed  that  night. 

"  The  next  morning,  after  keeping  in  the  woods 
some  distance,  we  came  to  an  opening,  where  we  saw 
some  people  at  work,  and  I  began  to  cry  for  assist- 
ance ;  but  this  made  them  tie  us  faster,  and  again 
stop  our  mouths ;  and  they  put  me  into  a  sack  until 
we  had  got  out  of  sight  of  these  people.  When  they 
offered  us  food  we  could  not  eat.  Often  bathing  each 
other  in  tears,  our  only  respite  was  sleep ;  but  alas  ! 
even  the  privilege  of  weeping  together  was  soon  de- 
nied us.  While  enclosed  in  each  other's  arms  we 
were  torn  asunder,  and  I  was  left  in  a  state  of  distress 
not  to  be  described. 

"  After  travelling  a  great  distance,  suffering  many 
hardships,  and  being  sold  several  times,  one  evening 
my  dear  sister  was  brought  to  the  same  house.  We 
were  both  so  overcome  that  we  could  not  speak  for 
some  time,  but  clung  to  each  other  and  wept.  And 
when  the  people  were  told  that  we  were  brother  and 
sister,  they  indulged  us  with  being  together ;  and  one 
of  the  men  at  night  lay  between  us,  and  allowed  xis 
to  hold  each  other's  hand  across  him. 

"  This  comfort,  small  as  it  may  appear  to  some,  was 
not  so  to  us  :  but  it  was  of  short  duration ;  when 


172  GUSTAVTTS    VASSA. 

morning  came,  we  were  again  separated,  and  I  never 
saw  her  more.  I  remember  the  happiness  of  our 
childish  sports,  the  indulgence  of  maternal  affection ; 
and  fear  that  her  lot  would  be  still  harder  than  mine, 
fixed  her  image  so  indelibly  on  my  mind,  that  neither 
prosperity  nor  adversity  has  ever  erased  it. 

"  I  once  attempted  to  run  away  ;  but  when  I  had 
got  into  the  woods,  and  night  came  on,  I  became 
alarmed  with  the  idea  of  being  devoured  by  wild 
beasts,  and  with  trembling  steps,  and  a  sad  heart,  I 
returned  to  my  master's  house,  and  laid  down  in  his 
fireplace,  where  I  was  found  in  the  morning.  Being 
closely  reprimanded  by  my  master,  he  ordered  me  to 
be  taken  care  of,  and  I  was  soon  sold  again.  I  then 
travelled  through  a  very  fertile  country,  where  I  saw 
cocoa-nuts  and  sugar-cane. 

"  All  the  people  I  had  hitherto  seen,  resembled  my 
own ;  and  having  learned  a  little  of  several  languages, 
I  could  understand  them  pretty  well ;  but  now,  after 
six  or  seven  months  had  passed  away,  from  the  time 
I  was  kidnapped,  I  arrived  at  the  sea-coast,  and  I 
beheld  that  element  which  before  I  had  no  idea  of. 
It  also  made  me  acquainted  with  such  cruelties  as  I 
can  never  reflect  upon  but  with  horror.  The  first 
object  that  met  my  sight  was  a  slave  ship  riding  at 
anchor,  waiting  for  her  cargo  ! 

"  When  I  was  taken  on  board,  being  roughly 
handled  and  closely  examined  by  these  men,  whose, 
complexion  and  language  differed  so  much  from  any 
I  had  seen  or  heard  before,  I  appi-ehended  I  had  got 


GUSTAVUS    VASSA.  173 

into  a  world  of  bad  spirits,  which  so  overcame  me 
tli at  I  fainted  and  fell.  When  I  came  to,  their  hor- 
rible looks  and  red  faces  frightened  me  again  exceed- 
ingly. But  I  had  not  time  to  think  much  about  it, 
before  I  was,  with  many  of  my  poor  country  people, 
put  under  deck  in  a  loathsome  and  horrible  place.  In 
this  situation  we  wished  for  death,  and  sometimes 
refused  to  eat,  and  for  this  we  were  beaten. 

"  After  enduring  more  hardships  than  I  can  relate, 
we  arrived  at  Barbadoes,  in  the  West  Indies.  When 
taken  on  shore,  we  were  put  into  a  pen  like  so  many 
beasts,  and  thence  sold  and  separated — Irusbands  and 
wives,  parents  and  children,  brothers  and  sisters, 
without  any  distinction.  Their  cries  excited  some 
compassion  in  the  hearts  of  those  who  were  capable 
of  feeling,  but  others  seemed  to  feel  no  remorse, 
though  the  scene  was  so  affecting. 

"  I,  with  some  others,  was  sent  to  America :  when 
•we  arrived  in  Virginia,  we  were  also  sold  and  separat- 
ed. Not  long  after,  Captain  Pascal,  coming  to  my 
master's,  purchased  me,  and  sent  me  on  board  his 
ship,  called  the  Industrious  Bee.  I  had  not  yet 
learned  much  of  the  English  language,  so  I  could  not 
understand  their  conversation ;  and  some  of  them 
made  me  believe  I  was  going  home  to  Africa.  This 
pleased  me  very  much,  and  the  kind  treatment  I  re- 
ceived made  me  happy  ;  but  when  we  came  in  sight 
of  England,  I  found  they  had  deceived  me.  It  was 
on  board  this  ship  I  received  the  name  of  Gustavus 
Vassa. 


174  GUSTAVUS    VASSA. 

"  Having  often  seen  my  master,  and  a  lad  named 
Richard  Baker,  who  was  very  kind  to  me,  reading  in 
books,  I  had  a  desire  to  do  so,  that  I  might  find  out 
how  all  things  had  a  beginning.  For  that  purpose,  I 
often  took  a  book,  talked  to  it,  and  then  placed  it  to 
my  ear  to  hear  what  it  would  say ;  but  when  I  found 
it  remained  silent,  I  was  much  concerned. 

"  The  summer  of  1757,  I  was  taken  by  a  press- 
gang,  and  carried  on  board  a  man-of-war.  After 
passing  about  a  year  in  this  service,  on  the  coast  of 
France  and  in  America,  on  my  return  to  England,  I 
received  much  kindness,  and  was  sent  to  school,  where 
I  learnsd  to  read  and  write.  My  master  receiving 
the  office  of  lieiitenant  on  board  one  of  those  ships, 
took  me  with  him  up  the  Mediterranean.  My  desire 
for  learning  induced  some  of  my  shipmates  to  instruct 
me,  so  that  I  could  read  the.  Bible  ;  and  one  of  them, 
a  sober  man,  explained  many  passages  to  me. 

"  As  I  had  now  served  my  master  faithfully  sev- 
eral years,  and  his  kindness  had  given  me  hopes  that 
he  would  grant  my  freedom  when  we  arrived  in 
England,  I  ventured  to  tell  him  so ;  but  he  was  of- 
fended, for  he  had  determined  on  sending  me  to  the 
West  Indies.  Accordingly,  at  the  close  of  the  year 
1762,  finding  a  vessel  bound  thither,  he  took  me  on 
board,  and  gave  me  in  charge  of  the  captain. 

"  I  endeavored  to  expostulate  with  him,  by  telling 
him  he  had  received  my  wages  and  all  my  prize 
money,  but  it  was  to  no  purpose.  Taking  my  only 
coat  from  my  back,  he  went  off  in  his  boat.  I  fol- 


OUSTAVUS   VASSA.  175 

lowed  tliem  with  aching  eyes,  and  a  heart  ready  to 
burst  with  grief,  until  they  were  out  of  sight.  The 
captain,  whose  name  was  Doran,  treated  me  very 
kindly,  but  we  had  a  tempestuous  voyage. 

"  When  we  came  in  sight  of  Montserrat,  remem- 
bering what  I  had  seen  on  my  first  arrival  from 
Africa,  it  chilled  me  to  the  heart,  and  brought  noth- 
ing to  my  view  but  misery,  stripes,  and  chains :  and 
to  complete  my  distress,  two  of  the  sailors  robbed  me 
of  about  eight  guineas,  which  I  had  collected  by 
doing  little  jobs  on  board  the  ships  of  war,  and  which 
I  hid  when  my  master  took  my  coat. 

"  Having  unladed  the  ship,  and  laded  her  again 
for  sea,  the  captain  sent  for  me :  when,  with  trem- 
bling steps  and  a  faltering  heart,  I  came  to  him.  I 
found  him  sitting  with  Robert  King,  a  Quaker, 
and  a  merchant:  and  after  telling  me  the  charge  he 
had  to  get  me  a  good  master,  he  said  he  had  got  me 
one  of  the  best  on  the  island.  Mr.  King  also  said 
he  had  bought  me  on  account  of  my  good  character  (to 
maintain  which  I  found  to  be  of  great  importance),  and 
that  his  home  was  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  expected 
soon  to  go,  and  he  did  not  intend  to  treat  me  hard. 

"  He  asked  me  what  I  could  do.  I  answered,  I 
can  shave  and  dress  hair  pretty  well ;  and  that  I  have 
learned  to  refine  wines ;  I  could  write,  and  under- 
stood arithmetic  as  far  as  the  Rule  of  Three.  The 
character  Captain  Dorau  had  given  of  my  master,  I 
found  to  be  correct.  He  possessed  an  amiable  dispo- 
sition, and  was  very  charitable  and  humane. 


176  GUSTAVUS    VASSA. 

'*  In  passing  about  the  island,  I  had  an  opportu- 
nity of  seeing  the  dreadful  usage,  and  wretched  situa- 
tion of  the  poor  slaves ;  and  it  reconciled  me  to  my 
condition,  and  made  me  thankful  for  being  placed 
with  so  kind  a  master.  He  was  several  times  of- 
fered a  great  price  for  me,  but  he  would  not  sell  me. 
Having  obtained  three  pence,  I  began  a  little  trade, 
and  soon  gained  a  dollar,  then  more ;  with  this  1 
bought  me  a  Bible. 

"  Going  in  a  vessel  of  my  master's  to  Georgia  and 
Charleston,  a  small  venture  I  took  on  my  return 
answered  a  very  good  purpose.  In  1765,  my  master 
prepared  for  going  to  Philadelphia.  With  his  credit- 
ing me  for  some  articles,  and  the  little  stock  of  my 
own,  I  laid  in  considerable,  which  elated  me  much  ; 
and  I  told  him  I  hoped  I  should  soon  obtain  enough 
to  purchase  my  freedom,  which  he  promised  me  I 
should  have  when  I  could  pay  him  what  he  gave  for 
me. 

"  Between  Montserrat  and  several  ports  in  America 
we  made  many  Yrips.  One  circumstance  occurred 
when  I  was  in  Georgia  that  was  a  serious  one  to  me. 
Being  in  a  yard  with  some  slaves  one  evening,  their 
master  coming  home  drunk,  and  seeing  me,  a  stranger, 
he,  with  a  stout  man  to  help  him,  beat  me  so  that  I 
could  not  go  aboard  the  ship,  which  gave  the  captain 
much  anxiety.  When  he  found  me,  and  saw  the  situ- 
ation I  was  in,  he  wept ;  but  by  his  kind  attention, 
and  that  of  a  skilful  physician,  I  was  in  a  few  weeks 
able  to  go  on  board  and  attend  to  my  business. 


GtTSTAVtfS    VASSA.  177 

"  Thus,  passing  from  one  port  to  another,  with  my 
kind  master's  and  captain's  indulgence,  and  my  own 
indefatigable  industry  and  economy,  I  obtained  the 
sum  required  for  my  liberty.  So,  one  morning,  while 
they  were  at  breakfast,  I  ventured  to  remind  my 
master  of  what  he  had  promised,  and  to  tell  him  I 
had  got  the  money — at  which  he  seemed  surprised. 
The  captain  told  him  1  had  come  honestly  by  it,  and 
he  must  now  fulfil  his  promise. 

"  Upon  which  he  told  me  to  get  a  manumission 
drawn,  and  he  would  sign  it.  At  this  intelligence 
my  heart  leaped  for  joy.  When  the  whole  was  fin- 
ished, and  I  was  in  reality  free,  I  felt  like  another 
being1 — my  joy  was  indescribable.  My  master  and 
Captain  Doran  entreated  me  not  to  leave  them,  and 
gratitude  induced  me  to  stay,  though  I  longed  to  see 
Captain  Pascal,  and  let  him  know  I  vrasfree. 

"  I  now  hired  as  a  sailor,  and  our  next  voyage  was 
to  Savannah.  When  we  were  preparing  to  return, 
and  were  taking  some  cattle  on  board,  one  of  them 
butted  the  captain  in  the  breast,  which  affected  him 
so  that  he  was  unable  to  do  duty,  and  he  died  before 
we  reached  our  port.  This  was  a  heavy  stroke  to  me, 
for  he  had  been  my  true  friend,  and  I  loved  him  as  a 
father. 

"  The  winter  following,  I  sailed  again  for  Georgia, 
with  a  new  captain,  in  the  Nancy  :  but  steering  a 
more  westerly  course  than  usual,  we  soon  got  on  the 
Bahama  banks,  where  our  vessel  was  wrecked,  but  no 
lives  were  lost.  Getting  ou  ono  of  the  islands,  with 


178  OUSTAVUS    VASSA. 

Borne  salt  provision  we  had  saved,  we  remained  there 
many  days,  and  suffered  much  for  want  of  fresh 
water. 

"  When  we  were  almost  famished  with  hunger  and 
thirst,  we  were  found  and  carried  to  New  Providence, 
where  we  were  kindly  treated.  Thence  we  were  taken 
to  Savannah,  so  to  Martinico  and  Montserrat,  having 
been  absent  about  six  months,  and  experienced  the 
delivering  hand  of  Providence  more  than  once,  when 
all  human  means  seemed  hopeless. 

"  After  relating  to  Mr.  King  the  loss  of  the  Nancy, 
and  the  various  hardships  we  had  endured,  I  again 
told  him  my  desire  to  go  to  England  ;  and  although 
he  wished  me  to  remain  in  his  service,  he  consented, 
and  gave  me  the  following  certificate  : — '  The  bearer 
hereof,  Gustavns  Vassa,  was  my  slave  upward  of 
three  years ;  during  which  time  he  always  behaved 
himself  well,  and  discharged  his  duty  with  honesty 
and  assiduity. — R.  KING.' 

"  Obtaining  this  certificate,  I  soon  parted  with  my 
kind  master,  and  arrived  in  England.  "When  I  here 
received  my  wages,  I  had  thirty-seven  guineas.  I 
soon  found  my  old  captain,  Pascal,  who  was  surprised 
to  see  me,  and  asked  how  I  came  back.  I  told  him, 
*  In  a  ship.'  To  which  he  replied,  '  I  suppose  you 
did  not  walk  on  the  water* 

;£  I  now  set  my  mind  on  getting  more  learning,  and 
attending  school  diligently.  My  money  not  being 
sufficient,  I  hired  myself  to  service  a  while  ;  but  hav- 
ing a  desire  to  go  again  to  the  Mediterranean,  I 


GUSTAVUS    VASSA.  179 

engaged  on  board  a  ship,  where  the  mate  taught  me 
navigation.  While  at  Smyrna,  I  saw  many  caravans 
from  India.  Among  other  articles,  they  brought 
great  quantities  of  locusts,  and  a  kind  of  pulse  resem- 
bling French  beans,  though  larger ;  they  are  sweet 
and  palatable. 

"  In  the  spring  of  1773,  an  expedition  was  fitted 
out  to  explore  a  northwest  passage  to  India.  Dr. 
Irving  concluding  to  go,  I  accompanied  him,  and  we 
went  on  board  one  of  the  vessels  the  24th  of  May  ; 
and  about  the  middle  of  June,  by  the  use  of  the 
doctor's  apparatus  for  making  salt  water  fresh,  we 
distilled  from  twenty-six  to  forty  gallons  a  day.  On 
the  28th  we  reached  Greenland,  where  I  found  the 

sun  did  not  set. 

i 

"  We  found  large  fields  of  ice,  and  to  one  of  them, 
about  eighty  yards  thick,  we  made  our  vessel  fast :  but 
we  soon  became  so  surrounded  with  ice  that  we  could 
not  move,  and  were  in  danger  of  being  crushed  to 
pieces.  In  this  perilous  situation  we  remained  eleven 
days,  when  the  weather  becoming  more  mild,  and  the 
wind  changing,  the  ice  gave  way,  and  in  about  thirty 
hours,  with  hard  labor,  we  got  into  open  water,  to 
our  great  joy,  and  ai-rived  at  Deptford,  after  an 
absence  of  four  months,  wherein  we  had  experienced 
imminent  dangers. 

"  Rejoicing  to  be  again  in  England,  I  entered  into 
service,  and  remained  a  considerable  time ;  during 
which  1  began  to  reflect  seriously  on  the  many  dan- 
gers I  had  escaped,  particularly  in  my  last  voyage, 


180  GUSTAVUS    VASSA. 

and  it  made  a  serious  impression  on  my  mind  ;  and 
my  reflections  were  often  turned  to  the  awfulness  of 
eternity. 

"  In  this  state,  I  took  to  my  Bible,  rejoicing  that  I 
could  read  it  for  myself,  and  I  received  encourage- 
ment. While  my  mind  was  thus  seriously  impressed, 
I  went  several  voyages  to  Spain,  and  being  often  led 
to  look  over  the  occurrences  of  my  past  life,  I  saw 
there  had  been  the  hand  of  Providence  to  guide  and 
protect  me,  though  I  knew  it  not ;  and  when  I  con- 
sidered my  obligations  to  the  Lord  for  His  goodness, 
I  wept. 

"  On  our  return,  the  last  voyage,  we  picked  up 
eleven  Portuguese.  Their  vessel  had  sunk,  with  two 
of  the  crew,  and  they  were  in  a  small  open  boat,  with- 1 
out  victuals,  compass,  water,  or  anything  else,  and 
must  soon  have  perished.  As  soon  as  they  got  on 
board  our  vessel,  they  fell  on  their  knees  and  thanked 
God  for  their  deliverance.  Thus  I  saw  verified  what 
was  written  in  the  lOTjh  Psalm. 

"  From  the  year  1777  to  1784,  I  remained  more 
quiet ;  but  about  the  latter  period  I  made  a  trip  to 
New  York,  and  one  to  Philadelphia.  At  the  latter 
place,  I  was  very  much  pleased  to  see  the  worthy 
Quakers  easing  the  burdens  of  my  oppressed  country- 
men. It  also  rejoiced  my  heart  when  one  of  these 
people  took  me  to  the  free  school,  and  I  saw  the 
children  of  my  color  instructed,  and  their  minds  culti- 
vated to  fit  them  for  usefulness. 

"  Not  long  after  my  return,  I  found  government 


GUSTAVtTS   VASSA.  181 

was  preparing  to  make  a  settlement  of  free  people  of 
color  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  and  that  vessels  were 
engaged  to  carry  such  as  wished  to  go  to  Sierra 
Leone.  I  engaged  as  commissary,  and  we  set  sail 
with  426  persons.  But  the  time  of  our  arrival  there, 
the  rainy  season  having  commenced,  proved  unfavor- 
able, and  some  of  us  soon  returned  to  England ; 
where,  since  that  period,  I  have  been  doing  what  I  could 
for  the  relief  of  my  much-injured  country  people. 

"  Having  been  early  taught  to  look  for  the  hand  of 
God  in  minute  circumstances,  they  have  been  of  con- 
sequence to  me  ;  and  aiming  at  simple  truth  in  relat- 
ing the  incidents  of  my  life,  I  hope  some  of  my  read- 
ers will  gather  instruction  from  them." 

Gregorie,  in  his  Inquiry  into  the  Intellectual  and 
Moral  Faculties  of  the  Negroes,  states,  that  after 
thirty  years  of  a  wandering  and  stormy  life,  Vassa 
established  himself  in  London,  where  he  married,  and 
published  his  memoirs,  which  have  been  several  times 
reprinted — the  last  edition  in.1794  ;  and  it  is  proved 
by  the  most  respectable  testimony  that  he  was  the 
author.  In  1789,  he  presented  a  petition  to  parlia- 
ment for  the  suppression  of  the  slave  trade. 

He  also  says,  that  a  son  of  his,  named  Sancho, 
having  received  a  good  education,  was  an  assistant 
librarian  to  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  and  secretary  to  the 
committee  for  vaccination.  And  he  concludes  with 
this  remark  :  "  If  Vassa  still  lived,  the  bill  which  was 
lately  passed,  prohibiting  the  slave  trade,  would  be 
consoling  to  his  heart,  and  to  his  old  age." 


182  BILLY    AIO)    JENTfY. 

BILLY  AND  JENNY. 

ABOUT  the  year  1738,  a  man  and  his  wife,  named 
Tom  and  Catv,  who  were  in  bondage  to  Thomas 
Bowne,  on  Long  Island,  had  a  little  son  whom  they 
called  Billy.  This  little  boy,  when  old  enough  to 
work,  was  sold  to  a  farmer  in  the  neighborhood ; 
who,  according  to  the  custom  of  those  days,  went  with 
his  servants  into  the  field,  and  allotted  to  each  one 
his  portion  of  labor.  By  this  means,  Billy  became 
acquainted  with  the  different  branches  of  husbandry, 
and  was  inured  to  industry. 

"With  this  farmer,  he  was  pretty  comfortably,  cared 
for,  and  kept  to  his  daily  labor  until  the  thirty -first 
year  of  his  age.  About  the  year  1744,  the  master  of 
one  of  those  ships  employed  in  bringing  the  poor 
Africans  from  their  native  land,  among  others  brought 
away  a  little  girl — too  young,  alas !  to  tell  even  by 
what  means,  or  in  what  way  she  was  taken. 

This  little  girl,  after  suffering  all  the  hardships 
attendant  on  her  situation,  and  a  long  confinement  on 
shipboard,  was  lauded  in  New  York,  and  sold  accord- 
ing to  the  custom  of  that  time.  She  was  bought  by 
Samuel  Underbill,  and  taken  to  Long  Island  to  wait 
on  his  wife  and  children  and  they  called  her  Jenny. 
As  she  advanced  in  age,  she  became  more  and  more 
useful  in  her  master's  family,  and  satisfied  with  her 
situation. 

Her  mistress  being  a  woman  of  an  uncommonly 
amiable  disposition,  having  known  the  subjugation  of 


BILLY    AND    JENNY.  183 

her  own  will,  by  the  operation  of  that  principle  which 
brings  into  harmony  all  the  discordant  passions,  and 
one  of  that  description  also,  that  "  looked  well  to  the 
ways  of  her  household,  and  ate  not  the  bread  of  idle- 
ness," she  was  qualified  to  govern  her  family  with 
mildness  and  discretion,  and  to  set  them  an  example 
of  economy,  sobriety,  cheerfulness,  and  industry. 

Jenny,  being  placed  under  the  tuition  of  such  a 
mistress,  in  due  time  became  qualified  to  fill  the  sta- 
tion allotted  her  with  propriety,  as  an  honest,  sober, 
industrious,  and  useful  servant.  When  she  had  ar- 
rived at  about  the  twentieth  year  of  her  age,  she  was 
visited  by  the  before-mentioned  Billy,  in  the  character 
of  a  suitor.  After  mature  deliberation,  and  their 
affections  becoming  more  strongly  fixed,  with  the  ap- 
probation of  those  concerned,  the  marriage  ceremony 
was  performed. 

Thus  were  they  united,  not  only  in  the  bonds  of 
wedlock,  but  those  of  sincere  affection,  which  abun- 
dantly manifested  itself  in  their  conduct  toward  and 
respect  for  each  other,  during  a  long  and  laborious 
life,  and  in  their  care  of  their  numerous  offspring, 
which  consisted  of  nine  sons  and  one  daughter. 

Time  passing  on  with  them,  they  partook  of  such  a 
share  of  happiness  as  their  situation  in  life  would 
permit,  until  the  year  1769,  when  the  master  of 
Jenny,  having  purchased  a  farm  in  Westchester 
county,  was  preparing  to  remove  his  family  thither. 
This  circumstance  became  a  very  close  trial  to  this  affec- 
tionate pair,  who  by  this  time  had  several  children. 


184  BILLY    AND    JENNY. 

The  thoughtfulness  and  anxiety  felt  by  them  on 
this  occasion  being  reciprocated  by  their  masters,  a 
proposition  was  made  for  an  exchange.  The  wife  of 
one  of  Billy's  fellow-servants  being  in  the  family  with 
Jenny,  accommodations  were  soon  made,  and  Billy  was 
admitted  a  resident  in  the  family  with  his  beloved 
partner :  when  they  all  proceeded  to  their  new  settle- 
ment, where  they  lived  in  harmony  and  concord  for 
many  years,  and  until  their  master's  children  were  all 
married'and  settled. 

During  this  period,  Billy  and  Jenny,  with  all  their 
children,  were  liberated  by  their  master,  and  such  of 
them  as  were  old  enough,  were  placed  where  they 
might  be  brought  up  to  habits  of  industry,  and  be 
prepared  to  provide  for  themselves  a  comfortable  sub- 
sistence ;  but  Billy  and  Jenny  remained  with  him. 

Age  and  infirmity  at  length  put  a  period  to  their 
kind  master's  life.  And  his  family,  being  thus  de- 
prived of  his  care  and  exertions,  were  induced  to 
leave  their  abode.  The  mistress,  who  had  long  exer- 
cised an  affectionate  care  over  her  household,  finding 
herself  lonely,  i-etired  to  live  with  her  children.  And 
with  her  youngest  son,  she  remained  to  an  advanced 
age,  and  was  then  gathered  into  rest,  as  a  shock  of 
corn  in  its  season. 

Billy  and  Jenny  having  a  house  provided  for  them, 
remained  under  the  care  of  their  former  master's 
descendants,  and  with  their  own  industry,  and  the 
generosity  of  their  friends,  they  were  comfortably 
situated.  But  wlicii  Billy  was  so  disabled  by  infirm- 


BIXLY   AND    JENNY.  185 

ity,  that  he  could  not  work  as  a  day-laborer,  he  culti- 
vated a  little  garden,  and  did  some  light  jobs  for  his 
neighbors. 

Their  children  being  out,  while  Jenny's  health  and 
strength  remained,  she  went  out  to  washing  and  house- 
cleaning.  Billy  generally  waited  on  her  to  the  place 
of  destination,  and  then,  returning  to  his  habitation, 
nursed  his  garden  and  poultry  until  toward  evening, 
when  he  would  go  to  accompany  her  home.  More 
genuine  politeness  and  unremitting  attention,  be- 
tween a  man  and  his  wife,  are  rarely  to  be  found,  in 
city  or  country,  than  were  manifested  by  this  sable 
pair. 

Thus  they  lived  several  years ;  but  Jenny  at  length 
became  enfeebled  by  age,  and  her  sight  failed,  so  that 
she  was  no  longer  capable  of  laboring  abroad,  or  using 
her  spinning-wheel  at  home,  as  heretofore,  which 
made  it  necessary  for  them  to  be  placed  in  a  different 
situation.  One  winter,  while  they  remained  at  house- 
keeping, there  came  a  very  severe  snow-storm,  with 
high  wind,  so  that  passing  from  one  place  to  another 
was  rendered  vei-y  difficult  for  several  days. 

As  soon  as  practicable,  their  friend,  who  had  the 
care  of  them,  and  supplied  their  wants,  went  to  see 
how  they  fared ;  when  Jenny,  meeting  him  at  the 
door,  and  being  asked  how  they  were,  etc.,  said,  "  Oh, 
Master  Richard,  I  am  wonderful  glad  to  see  thee — if 
the  storm  had  lasted  much  longer,  I  believe  we 
should  have  froze "  to  death ;  our  wood  was  'most 
gone,  and  Billy  is  one  of  the  honestest  niggers  in  the 


186  GEORGE    HARDY. 

world  ;  for  he  had  rather  freeze  to  death  than  steal  a 
rail  from  the  fence."  This  circumstance  is  recorded 
as  one  specimen  of  their  honest  simplicity. 

In  the  spring  of  1815,  they  were  removed  to  the 
habitation  of  one  of  their  sons,  where  they  were 
boarded ;  and  there  they  remained,  until  death,  the 
destroyer  of  all  earthly  comforts,  put  a  period  to 
Jenny's  life,  after  a  few  days'  severe  illness,  about  the 
seventy-eighth  year  of  her  age. 

The  same  affectionate  attachment  that  pervaded 
her  mind  in  youth  and  in  health,  remained  unshaken 
to  the  last.  Her  sight,  as  before  remarked,  being 
almost  gone,  when  lying  on  her  bed,  she  frequently 
inquired  for  Billy ;  but  when  she  was  told  he  was 
lying  behind  her,  or  sitting  by  her,  she  was  satisfied. 

Thus  she  closed  a  long  and  laborious  life,  beloved 
and  respected  for  her  many  good  qualities,  and  her 
consistent  conduct.  Billy  died  at  Scarsdale,  West- 
Chester  county,  New  York,  on  the  4th  of  Third  month, 
1826,  after  a  few  days'  illness,  aged  about  eighty-seven 
years,  and  was  decently  interred  by  the  side  of  Jenny, 
on  the  6th  of  the  same  month. 


GEORGE  HARDY. 

DURING  the  winter  of  1832,  the  writer  of  the  narra- 
tive of  which  this  account  is  an  abridgment,  became 
acquainted  with  Hannah  Hardy,  an  interesting  old 


GEOKGE    HARDY.  187 

colored  woman,  and  her  son  George.  They  were  the 
suffering  tenants  of  a  miserable  garret,  lighted  only 
by  a  few  panes  of  glass,  and  ill-secured  from  the  in- 
clemencies of  the  weather. 

Hannah  had  been  an  industrious  woman,  who  sup- 
ported herself  comfortably  for  many  years,  until  her 
sight,  which  had  long  been  declining,  so  nearly  left 
her  as  to  disqualify  her  for  all  kinds  of  work.  George, 
who  was  her  youngest  son,  disclosed  in.  his  earliest 
years  great  quickness  of  discernment  and  readiness  of 
apprehension.  He  could  read  the  Bible  when  only 
four  years  old ;  and  he  continued  to  be  remarkable 
for  docility,  and  for  preferring  his  books  and  other 
profitable  employments  to  the  idle  sports  of  children. 

When  about  eleven  years  old,  he  was  placed  from 
home,  where  he  remained  until  four  years  since,  when 
he  became  so  much  diseased  with  scrofula  as  to  make 
it  necessary  for  him  to  return  to  his  mother.  From 
that  time,  she  became  his  constant  and  only  nurse, 
and  evinced,  through  numberless  privations  and  diffi- 
culties, the  most  unwearied  attention  and  patient  en- 
durance. 

When  he  was  able  to  sit  up  and  use  his  arms,  he 
made  rope-mats ;  by  which,  with  casual  help  from  his 
friends,  he  supported  his  mother  and  paid  her  rent. 
He  always  mended  his  own  and  her  clothes,  and 
allowed  no  time  to  pass  away  in  idleness,  which  he 
was  able  to  employ ;  and  so  cheerful,  so  thankful,  and 
so  happy  did  this  interesting  couple  appear,  that  it 
afforded  a  lesson  of  instruction  to  be  with  them. 


188  GEORGE    HARDY. 

Hannah,  who  could  only  distinguish  the  glare  of 
noon  from  the  gloom  of  darkness,  had  lived  so  long 
in  the  foiioi-n  tenement  they  then  inhabited,  and 
knew  so  well  all  the  turnings  of  its  steep  and  danger- 
ous stairs,  that  she  could  not  bear  to  bear  the  pro- 
posal from  some  of  her  friends  to  provide  one  more 
comfortable.  Through  the  latter  part  of  the  winter, 
and  the  commencement  of  the  spring,  George's  suffer- 
ings greatly  increased ;  he  was  wholly  confined  to  his 
bed,  and  so  emaciated  with  pain  and  disease,  that 
although  he  was  seventeen  years  of  age,  his  arms  were 
not  thicker  than  an  infant's. 

He  had  been  a  diligent  reader  of  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures ;  and  though  he  told  me  they  had  been  to 
him  a  sealed  book,  until  he  was  brought  to  that  bed 
of  suffering,  yet  it  was  evident  that  his  mind  had  long 
been  enabled  to  appropriate  to  his  own  necessities 
many  of  their  precious  precepts.  Though  he  labored 
under  the  combined  effects  of  scrofula  and  dropsy,  in 
their  highest  degrees  of  virulence,  yet  I  never  heard 
him  repine  ;  and  often,  while  suffering  extreme  bodily 
anguish,  he  would  speak  of  the  relief  it  afforded  the 
poor  afflicted  body,  to  have  the  mind  composed  and 
tranquil,  and  would  say,  "  O,  I  feel  like  a  poor  worm 
in  the  fire  ;  yet  all  I  desire  is,  to  be  favored  with 
patience  to  bear  all  my  pain,  and  with  a  willing  mind 
to  wait  the  Master's  will  to  take  me  away." 

For  many  days  and  nights  together  he  was  able  to 
obtain  but  little  sleep ;  yet  he  showed  no  marks  of 
restlessness  or  discontent.  Once,  calling  me  to  his 


GEORGE    HARDY.  189 

bedside,  he  said,  "  I  am  afraid  I  am  not  patient 
enough  ;  but  I  often  feel  very  weary,  and  I  fear  I 
shall  wear  my  poor  mother  out.  I  am  more  con- 
cerned for  her  than  for  myself — what  should  I  do  for 
a  care-taker  if  she  were  gone  ?  She  is  very  kind  to 
me,  and  I  have  many  kind  friends.  I  am  afraid  I  am 
not  grateful  enough  for  all  my  favors.  To  some,  this 
garret  would  look  like  a  dull  place,  but  it  never  looks 
gloomy  to  me  ;  I  have  had  more  pleasure  in  it  than  I 
could  have  had  in  the  nicest  parlor." 

Having  called  one  day  after  he  had  passed  a  sleep- 
less and  languishing  night,  I  found  him,  with  the 
Bible  fixed  before  him,  reading.  He  looked  animated, 
and  said,  "  I  always  loved  to  read  the  Bible,  but  I 
never  understood  it  until  very  lately ;  now  1  under- 
stand it,  and  I  find  that  religion  and  pleasure  are  in 
no  way  inconsistent.  I  feel  now  that  I  shall  never 
recover.  I  am  willing  to  die,  and  I  shall  be  happy 
when  I  am  gone  from  earth — but  the  Lord  is  very 
merciful,  and  can  make  me  happy  as  long  as  He 
chooses  that  I  should  stay.  I  have  trusted  in  Him 
through  pain  and  through  want,  and  I  believe  He 
will  never  forsake  me.  My  Fifth  has  sometimes  been 
closely  tried,  but  I  never  let  go  my  confidence." 

His  disease  now  rapidly  increased,  and  with  it  his 
suffering.  On  the  23d  of  FiftJi  month,  he  conversed 
a  long  time  with  the  doctor,  and  seemed  more  com- 
fortable than  usual ;  but  he  passed  a  sleepless  and 
distressing  night.  The  next  day,  he  was  able  to  take 
but  little  nourishment,  owin^  to  the  great  soreness  of 


190  GEORGE    HAKDY. 

his  mouth  and  throat,  but  he  could  converse  intel- 
ligibly, and  seemed  anxious  to  do  so.  About  two 
o'clock  this  day,  I  found  him  in  great  pain,  but  quite 
tranquil  in  mind. 

On  my  going  to  him,  he  said,  "  My  sufferings  are 
now  nearly  over ;  I  shall  not  live  many  days — not 
more  than  two.  The  Lord's  time  has  nearly  come, 
and  then  He  will  take  me  where  I  shall  never  suffer 
any  more.  O,  how  marvellous  His  mercy  is,  to 
look  down  upon  such  a  polluted  sinner  as  I  am  ! 

'  1  the  worst  of  sinners  am, 
But  Jesus  came  to  save  me. ' — 

Yes,  He  will  save  me — I  know  it.  I  have  a  hope — 
a  pretty  certain  hope — O,  it  is  a  very  certain  hope — 
it  is  a  very  sure  hope."  He  then  in  a  low  and  indis- 
tinct voice,  supplicated  for  many  minutes  ;  after  which 
he  said,  "  I  have  been  talking  to  my  Saviour." 

Not  expecting  him  to  hear,  I  asked  his  mother  if 
he  had  always  been  a  serious  boy ;  but  before  she 
could  reply,  George  said,  "  No  !  I  was  always  bad, 
always  wicked  ;  but  since  I  was  brought  to  this  bed 
of  sickness,  I  have  sought  for  repentance,  and  I  have 
found  it :  my  sins  were  as  scarlet,  but  now  they  are 
washed  as  white  as  snow.  But  it  is  all  mercy,  pure 
mercy ;  we  have  no  righteousness  of  our  own  to 
depend  upon — no  works,  no  merit  of  our  own  will 
avail  us  at  such  a  time  as  this.  If  these  were  all  we 
had  to  look  to,  we  should  never  be  saved.  But  this 


LOTT  CAREY.  191 

is  what  Jesus  came  into  the  world  for — to  save  us 
poor  sinners  ;  and  salvation  belongs  to  Him  alone." 

After  this,  he  desired  me  to  read  to  him  in  the 
Bible — said  he  would  like  to  hear  me  read  in  the 
Psalms,  where  David  deplored  his  sins.  I  did  so, 
and  he  afterward  composed  himself  and  slept  a  few 
minutes  ;  but  the  pain  soon  awoke  him,  and  he  said, 
"  I  hope  my  patience  will  hold  out — I  must  not  get 
impatient  so  near  the  end." 

On  the  25th,  his  sufferings  greatly  increased,  and 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  26th,  he  was  unable  longer  to 
speak,  but  he  appeared  to  be  sensible  of  what  was 
passing,  and  to  know  those  about  him.  He  several 
times  embraced  his  mother  very  tenderly  and  wept. 
The  impress  which  the  pain  and  anguish  of  the  pre- 
ceding day  had  left  upon  his  countenance,  now  yielded 
to  a  placid  and  heavenly  serenity ;  and  his  breath 
continued  to  shorten,  until  he  ceased  to  breathe. 


LOTT   CAREY. 

PRINCIPALLY    FROM    GURLEY's    LIFE    OF    ASHMUX. 

THIS  interesting  individual  was  born  a  slave,  on 
the  estate  of  William  A.  Christian,  in  Charles  City 
county,  about  thirty  miles  below  Richmond.  In 
1804,  he  was  sent  to  that  city,  and  hired  out  by  the 
year  as  a  common  laborer  at  the  Shockoe  warehouse. 


192  LOTT    CABEY. 

At  that  time,  and  for  two  or  three  years  after,  he 
•was  excessively  profane,  and  much  addicted  to  intoxi- 
cation. 

But  God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  was  pleased  to 
awaken  him  to  a  sense  of  his  lost  estate  ;  and  in  the 
year  1807,  he  made  open  profession  of  his  faith  in  the 
Saviour.  A  sermon  which  he  heard  about  that  time, 
founded  on  our  Lord's  interview  with  Nicodemus, 
awakened  in  him  so  strong  a  desire  to  be  able  to  read 
and  write,  that  he  obtained  a  Testament,  and  com- 
menced learning  his  letters,  by  trying  to  read  the 
chapter  in  which  that  interview  is  recorded. 

He  was  occasionally  instructed  by  young  gentlemen 
at  the  warehouse,  though  he  never  attended  a  regular 
school.  In  a  little  time,  he  was  able  to  read  and 
write,  so  as  to  make  dray  tickets,  and  superintend 
the  shipping  of  tobacco.  In  this  business,  and  in 
overseeing  the  labor  of  the  other  hands  in  the  ware- 
house, he  was  particularly  useful ;  so  much  so,  that 
he  received  800  dollars  salary  in  1820,  the  last  year 
he  remained  there ;  and  he  could  have  received  a 
larger  sum,  if  he  would  have  continued. 

In  the  year  1813,  he  bought  himself  and  his  two 
little  children  (his  wife  being  dead)  for  850  dollars, 
and  thus  became  free.  The  manner  in  which  he  ob- 
tained this  sum  of  money  to  purchase  himself  and  his 
children,  reflects  much  credit  on  his  character.  It 
will  be  seen  from  the  salary  he  received  after  he  was 
free,  and  which  he  relinquished  for  the  sake  of  doing 
good  in  Africa,  that  his  services  at  the  warehouse  were 


LOTT    CAREY.  193 

highly  estimated  ;  but  of  their  real  value,  no  one  ex- 
cept a  dealer  in  tobacco  can  form  an  idea.  Notwith- 
standing the  hundreds  of  hogsheads  that  were  com- 
mitted to  his  charge,  he  could  produce  any  one  the 
instant  it  was  called  for ;  and  the  shipments  were 
made  with  a  promptness  and  correctness,  such  as  no 
person  has  equalled  in  the  same  situation.  For  this 
correctness  and  fidelity,  he  was  highly  esteemed,  and 
frequently  rewarded  by  the  merchant  with  a  five-dol- 
lar note.  He  was  allowed  also  to  sell  for  his  benefit 
many  small  parcels  of  waste  tobacco.  It  was  by  sav- 
ing the  little  sums  obtained  in  this  way,  with  the  aid 
of  a  subscription  by  the  merchants  to  whose  interests 
he  had  been  attentive,  that  he  procured  these  850 
dollars  which  he  paid  for  the  freedom  of  himself  and 
children.  When  the  colonists  were  fitted  out  for 
Africa,  he  defrayed  a  considerable  part  of  his  own 
expense.  With  a  design  to  improve  his  condition, 
he  emigrated  to  Africa  among  the  first  settlers  of 
Liberia,  where  he  was  the  means  of  doing  much  good 
to  both  colonists  and  natives. 

In  reply  to  one  of  his  friends,  who  desired  to  know 
what  inducement  he  had  for  going  to  Africa,  when  he 
was  ah'eady  so  comfortably  situated,  he  said,  "  I  am 
an  African;  and  in  this  country,  however  meritorious 
my  conduct  and  respectable  my  character,  I  cannot 
receive  the  credit  due  to  either.  I  wish  to  go  to  a 
country  where  I  shall  be  estimated  by  my  merits,  not 
by  my  complexion.  And  I  likewise  feel  bound  to 
labor  for  my  suffering  race." 


194  LOTT    CAKEY. 

Soon  after  he  made  a  profession  of  religion  he  com- 
menced holding  meetings  and  exhorting  among  the 
colored  people ;  and,  though  he  had  scarcely  any 
knowledge  of  books,  and  but  little  acquaintance  with 
mankind,  he  would  frequently  exhibit  a  boldness  of 
thought,  and  a  strength  of  native  intellect,  which  no 
acquirement  could  ever  have  given  him. 

At  the  close  of  his  farewell  sermon,  on  his  depart- 
ure for  Africa,  he  remai-ked  in  substance  as  follows  : 
"  I  am  about  to  leave  you ;  and  I  expect  to  see  your 
faces  no  more.  I  long  to  preach  to  the  poor  Africans 
the  way  of  life  and  salvation.  I  don't  know  what 
may  befall  me — whether  I  may  find  a  grave  in  the 
ocean,  or  among  the  savage  men,  or  more  savage  wild 
beasts,  on  the  coast  of  Africa  :  nor  am  I  anxious  what 
may  become  of  me  ;  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  go. 

"  I  very  much  fear  that  many  of  those  who  preach 
the  gospel  in  this  country  will  blush  when  the 
Saviour  calls  them  to  give  an  account  of  their  labors 
in  His  cause,  and  tells  them,  '  I  commanded  you  to  go 
into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature.' "  And  with  the  most  forcible  emphasis  he 
exclaimed,  "  The  Saviour  may  ask,  '  Where  have  you 
been?  What  have  you  been  doing?  Have  you 
endeavored  to  the  utmost  of  your  ability  to  fulfil  the 
commands  I  gave  you  ?  or  have  you  sought  your  own 
gratification  and  your  own  ease,  regardless  of  my  com- 
mands ? ' " 

In  his  new  home,  his  intellectual  ability,  firmness 
of  purpose,  unbending  integrity,  correct  judgment, 


LOTT    CAREY.  195 

and  disinterested  benevolence,  caused  him  to  be 
beloved  and  respected,  and  gave  him  great  influence  : 
and  he  soon  rose  to  honorable  distinction.  The  inter- 
ests of  the  colony,  and  the  cause  of  his  countrymen, 
in  both  Africa  and  America,  were  very  near  to  his 
heart.  For  them  he  was  willing  to  toil,  and  to  make 
almost  any  sacrifice  ;  arid  he  frequently  declared  that 
no  possessions  in  America  could  induce  him  to  re- 
turn. 

He  possessed  a  constitution  peculiarly  fitted  for 
toil  and  exposure,  and  he  felt  the  effects  of  the 
climate  perhaps  less  than  any  other  individual  in  the 
colony.  During  the  sickly  season  of  the  year,  he  was 
usually  wholly  employed  in  attending  the  sick ;  and 
for  more  than  a  year,  they  had  no  other  physician 
among  them.  The  little  medical  information  he  had 
obtained  from  Dr.  Ay  res  and  others  on  the  coast, 
together  with  several  years'  experience,  enabled  him 
successfully  to  contend  with  the  peculiar  fevers  of  the 
climate. 

Under  date  of  March  12th,  1824,  shortly  after  the 
arrival  of  the  Cyrus  with  105  emigrants,  he  wrote: 
"  The  fever  began  about  the  24th  ult.,  and  on  the 
28th  we  had  thirty-eight  cases ;  and  by  the  2d  inst. 
we  had  sixty -six  under  the  operation  of  medicine ; 
and  at  present,  I  have  about  a  hundred  cases  of  fever 
to  contend  with  ;  but  we  have  been  very  much  favor- 
ed, for  they  all  appear  to  be  on  the  recovery,  and  we 
have  lost  none,  saving  three  children.  I  have  very 
little  time  to  write  to  you,  myself  being  the  only  man 


196  LOTT    CAREY. 

that  will  venture  to  act  in  the  capacity  of  a  physi- 
cian." 

The  managers  of  the  American  Colonization  So- 
ciety, in  1825,  invited  Carey  to  visit  the  United 
States,  in  the  expectation  that  his  intelligent  and 
candid  statements,  concerning  the  condition  and  pros- 
pects of  the  colony  and  the  moral  wants  of  Africa, 
would  exert  a  beneficial  influence  on  the  opinions  of 
the  people  of  color,  and  recommend  the  cause  of  the 
society  to  the  public  regard. 

In  the  month  of  April,  1826,  he  made  arrangements 
to  embark  in  the  Indian  Chief,  on  her  return  from 
taking  a  large  number  of  emigrants  to  the  colony, 
and  received  from  Ashmun  testimonials  of  his  worth 
and  services.  The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  let- 
ter from  Ashmun  to  the  managers  of  the  Colonization 
Society : 

"  The  Rev.  Lott  Carey  has,  in  my  opinion,  some 
claims  on  the  justice  of  the  society,  or  the  government 
of  the  United  States,  or  both,  which  merit  considera- 
tion. These  claims  arise  out  of  a  long  and  faithful 
course  of  medical  services  rendered  to  this  colony. 
More  than  one-half  of  his  time  has  been  given  up  to 
the  care  of  the  sick,  from  the  day  I  landed  in  Africa 
to  the  very  moment  of  stating  the  fact.  He  has  per- 
sonally aided,  in  every  way  that  fidelity  and  benevo- 
lence could  dictate,  in  all  the  attentions  which  our 
sick  have  in  so  long  a  period  received. 

"  Several  times  have  these  disinterested  labors  re- 
duced him  to  the  very  verge  of  the  grave.  He  has 


LOTT    CAREY.  197 

hitherto  received  no  compensation,  either  from  the 
society  or  the  government,  for  these  services.  I  need 
not  add,  that  it  has  not  been  in  his  power  to  support 
himself  and  family,  by  any  use  he  could  make  of  the 
remnants  of  the  time  left  him,  after  discharging  the 
amount  of  duties  devolving  upon  him.  In  addition, 
he  has  the  care  of  the  liberated  Africans." 

Until  near  the  time  of  the  Indian  Chief's  departure, 
he  cherished  the  hope  of  embarking  in  her  for  Amer- 
ica. But  as  there  was  no  other  physician  in  the 
colony,  it  was  finally  thought  best  for  him  to  postpone 
his  departure  until  another  opportunity. 

Notwithstanding  he  on  one  occasion  manifested  a 
disposition  for  insubordination,  yet,  like  a  wise  man 
and  a  Christian,  he  soon  saw  his  error,  and  acknow- 
ledged it  with  humility  and  submission.  He  was 
elected  in  September,  1826,  to  the  vice-agency  of  the 
colony,  and  discharged  the  duties  of  that  important 
office  until  his  death. 

In  his  good  sense,  moral  worth,  public  spirit,  cour- 
age, resolution,  and  decision,  the  colonial  agent  had 
perfect  confidence.  He  knew  that  in  times  of  diffi- 
culty or  of  danger,  full  reliance  might  be  placed  upon 
the  energy  and  efficiency  of  Carey. 

.When  compelled,  in  the  early  part  of  1828,  to 
leave  the  colony,  Ashmun  committed  the  administra- 
tion of  the  colonial  affairs  into  the  hands  of  the  vice- 
agent,  in  the  full  belief  that  no  interest  would  be  be- 
trayed, but  that  his  efforts  would  be  constantly  and 
anxiously  directed  to  the  promotion  of  the  public  good. 


198  .LOTT   CAREY. 

Soon  after  Carey  wrote  thus  :  "  Feeling  very  sen- 
sibly my  incompetency  to  enter  upon  the  duties  of 
iny  office,  without  first  making  all  the  officers  of  tho 
colony  well  acquainted  with  the  principal  objects 
which  should  engage  our  attention,  I  invited  them  to 
meet  at  the  Agency  House  on  the  27th,  at  nine 
o'clock,  which  was  punctually  attended  to,  and  I  then 
read  all  the  instructions  left  by  Mr.  Ashman,  without 
reserve,  and  requested  their  co-operation.  To  get 
the  new  settlers  located  on  their  lands,  was  a  very 
important  item  in  niy  instructions ;  and  I  trust, 
through  the  blessing  of  the  great  Ruler  of  events,  we 
shall  be  able  to  realize  all  the  expectations  of  Mr. 
Ashmun." 

He  soon  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  for  the 
Colonization  Society  of  the  native  kings  ;  and  further 
said,  "  Captain  Russell  will  be  able  to  give  something 
like  a  fair  account  of  the  state  of  our  improvements, 
as  he  went  withx  me  to  visit  the  settlements,  and 
seemed  pleased  with  the  prospect  at  Millsburg,  Cald- 
well,  and  the  Halfway  Farms." 

For  about  six  months  after  the  departure  of  Ash- 
mun from  the  colony,  Carey  stood  at  its  head,  and 
conducted  himself  with  such  energy  and  wisdom  as  to 
do  honor  to  his  previous  reputation,  and  fix  the  seal 
upon  his  enviable  fame.  But,  alas  !  he  was  suddenly 
and  unexpectedly,  and  in  a  distressing  manner,  forced 
from  life,  in  all  its  vigor,  by  the  explosion  of  gun- 
powder, on  the  8th  of  November,  in  which  eight  per- 
sons lost  their  lives. 


LOTT    CAREY.  199 

Carey  was  thrice  married,  and  tluice  he  was  left  a 
•widower.  His  first  wife  died,  as  before  related,  pre- 
vious to  his  becoming  free.  His  second  wife  died  at 
Foura  Bay,  near  Sierra  Leone,  shortly  after  arriving 
in  Africa.  Of  her  triumphant  death,  he  has  given  a 
most  affecting  account  in  his  journal  of  that  date. 
His  third  wife  died  at  Cape  Montserado.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  Richard  Sampson,  from  Petersburg. 

It  has  been  very  well  said  of  Carey,  that  he  was 
one  of  nature's  noblemen.  Had  he  possessed  the  ad- 
vantages of  education,  few  men  of  his  age  would  have 
excelled  him  in  knowledge  or  genius.  To  found  a 
Christian  colony  which  might  prove  a  blessed  asylum 
to  his  degraded  brethren  in  America,  and  enlighten 
and  regenerate  Africa,  was,  in  his  view,  an  object 
with  which  no  temporal  good,  not  even  life,  could  be 
compared. 

The  strongest  sympathies  of  his  nature  were  ex- 
cited in  behalf  of  his  unfortunate  people,  and  the 
divine  promise  cheered  and  encouraged  him  in  his 
labors  for  their  improvement  and  salvation.  A  main 
pillar  in  the  society  and  church  of  Liberia  has  fallen ! 
But  we  will  not  despond.  The  memorial  of  his 
worth  shall  never  perish.  It  shall  stand  in  a  clearer 
light,  when  every  chain  is  broken,  and  Christianity 
shall  have  assumed  her  sway  over  the  millions  of 
Africa. 


200       THE    GOOD    MASTER   AND    HIS    FAITHFUL    SLAVE. 

THE   GOOD   MASTER  AND   HIS   FAITHFUL 
SLAVE. 

Translated  from  the  French. 

WARNER  MIFFLIN,  for  his  candor,  affability,  and 
knowledge,  was  ranked  among  those  who  are  an  honor 
to  their  country  and  their  age.  He  had  received 
from  his  father  thirty-seven  negroes,  old  and  young. 
The  day  that  he  had  fixed  upon  for  their  emancipation 
being  come,  he  called  one  after  another  into  his  cham- 
ber, and  this  was  the  conversation  that  passed  with 
one  of  them : 

"  Well,  my  friend  James,  how  old  art  thou  ?  "  "I 
am  twenty-nine  and  a  half  years  old,  master."  "  Thou 
shouldst  have  been  free,  as  thy  white  brethren  are,  at 
twenty-one.  Religion  and  humanity  enjoin  me  this 
day  to  give  thee  thy  liberty,  and  justice  requires  me 
to  pay  thee  for  eight  and  a  half  years'  service,  at  the 
rate  of  twenty-one  pounds  and  five  shillings  per  annum, 
including  in  it  thy  food  and  raiment,  making  alto- 
gether a  sum  of  ninety-five  pounds,  twelve  shillings, 
and  sixpence  owing  to  thee  ;  but  as  thou  art  young 
and  healthy,  thou  hadst  better  work  for  thy  living : 
my  intention  is  to  give  thee  a  bond  for  it,  bearing  in- 
terest at  the  rate  of  seven  per  cent. 

"  Thou  hast  now  no  master  but  God  and  the  laws. 
Go  into  the  next  room  ;  thou  wilt  find  there  thy  late 
mistress  and  my  nephew  ;  they  are  engaged  in  writing 
thy  manumission.  May  God  bless  thee,  James  !  Be 


THE    GOOD    MASTER    AND    HIS    FAITHFUL    SLAVE.       201 

wise  and  industrious ;  in  all  thy  trials,  thou  wilt  find 
a  friend  in  thy  old  master." 

James,  surprised  at  a  scene  so  new  and  affecting, 
shed  many  tears ;  astonishment,  gratitude,  and  a  va- 
riety of  feelings,  shook  his  frame.  He  shed  a  flood  of 
tears,  and  could  scarcely  articulate  these  words  :  "  Ah, 
my  master  !  why  do  you  give  me  my  liberty  ?  I 
have  always  had  what  I  wanted  :  we  have  worked  to- 
gether in  the  fields,  and  1  have  worked  as  much  for 
myself  as  for  you. 

"  I  have  eaten  of  the  same  food,  and  been  clothed 
like  you — and  we  have  gone  together  on  foot  to  meet- 
ing. We  have  the  Sabbath  to  ourselves :  we  don't 
lack  any  thing.  When  we  are  sick,  our  good  and 
tender  mistress  comes  to  our  bedside,  always  saying 
something  consolatory  to  us.  Ah,  my  dear  master  ! 
when  I  am  free,  where  shall  I  go  ?  and  when  I  am 
sick—" 

"  Thon  shalt  be  as  the  whites ;  thou  shalt  hire  with 
those  who  will  give  thee  generous  wages  :  in  a  few 
years,  thou  shalt  purchase  a  piece  of  land,  marry  a 
wife,  wise  and  industrious  as  thyself,  and  rear  up 
children,  as  I  have  reared  thee,  in  the  fear  of  the 
Lord  and  love  of  labor.  After  having  lived  free  and 
happy,  thou  shalt  die  in  peace.  • 

"  "  Thou  must  accept  liberty,  James ;  it  is  a  great 
while  since  it  was  due  to  thee.  Would  to  God,  the 
Father  of  all  men,  that  the  whites  had  never  thought 
of  trading  in  thy  African  brethren  ;  may  He  inspire 

all  men  with   the  desire  of   following  our  elample. 
9* 


202       THE    GOOD    MASTER    AND    HIS    FAITHFUL    SLAVE. 

We,  who  regard  liberty  as  the  first  of  blessings,  why 
should  we  refuse  it  to  those  who  live  among  us  ?  " 

"Ah,  my  master  !  you  are  so  good  is  the  reason  I 
wish  not  to  leave  you — I  have  never  been  a  slave.  You 
have  never  spoken  to  me  but  as  you  speak  to  white 
men  ;  I  have  lacked  nothing,  either  in  sickness  or  in 
health ;  I  have  never  worked  more  than  your  neigh- 
bors, who  have  worked  for  themselves. 

"  I  have  been  richer  than  many  whites — to  some  of 
whom  I  have  lent  money.  And  my  good  and  tender 
mistress  never  commands  us  to  do  anything,  but 
makes  us  do  everything  by  only  saying,  '  Please  to 
do  it.'  How  shall  1  leave  you  ?  give  me  by  the  year 
what  you  will,  in  the  name  of  a  freeman  or  a  slave,  it 
is  of  little  consequence  to  me — I  shall  never  be  happy 
but  with  you — I  will  never  leave  you." 

"  Well,  James,  I  consent  to  what  thou  desirest ; 
after  thy  manumission  shall  have  passed  through  the 
necessary  forms,  I  will  hire  thee  by  the  year  ;  but  take 
at  least  one  of  relaxation ;  it  is  a  great  epoch  of  thy 
life ;  celebrate  it  with  joy,  and  rest  by  doing  whatso- 
ever thou  wilt." 

"  No  master  !  it  is  seed  time — I  will  take  my  pleas- 
ure another  time — one  day  only  shall  be  a  holiday  in 
my  family.  'Then,  .since  you  will  have  it  so,  I  will 
accept  my  liberty ;  and  my  first  action,  as  a  free  man, 
is  to  take  your  hand,  my  master,  press  it  between 
mine,  and  lay  it  on  my  heart,  where  the  attachment 
and  gratitude  of  James  will  nob  cease  until  that 
ceases  to  beat ;  and  until  that  moment  be  assured 


EZEKIEL    COSTON.  203 

that  no  laborer  in  the  county  of  Kent  will  be  more 
industrious  than  he  who  henceforth  shall  be  called 
FAITHFUL  JAMES." 


EZEKIEL   COSTON, 

AGED  upwards  of  eighty-three  years,  related  to 
Samuel  Canby,  of  Wilmington,  Delaware,  in  1825, 
the  following  circumstances  of  his  freedom  from  his 
master,  the  late  Warner  Mifflin,  a  Quaker :  and  it  may 
be  observed,  that  he  always  supported  an  unblem- 
ished character : 

That  he  was  born  a  slave  in  the  family  of  Daniel 
Mifflin,  of  Accomack  county,  Virginia,  with  whom 
he  lived  until  aboxit  twenty  years  of  age ;  about  which, 
period  Warner  Mifflin  (son  of  Daniel)  married  a 
daughter  of  John  Kensey's,  of  West  River,  Marjr- 
land,  and  settled  near  Camden,  in  the  State  of  Dela- 
ware. Ezekiel,  and  five  other,  slaves,  were  given  him 
by  his  father  ;  there  were  also  a  number  of  slaves  be- 
longing to  his  wife  brought  into  the  family. 

He  lived  with  Warner  Mifflin  about  eighteen 
months,  when  he  put  him  on  a  plantation  of  his  to  work 
it,  about  six  miles  from  his  residence,  where  he  con- 
tinued about  four  years  a  slave.  At  this  period  Eze- 
kiel was  informed  by  his  master  that  he  had  concluded 
to  set  his  slaves  free;  and  very  soon  after  his  master 
came  to  his  residence,  and  calling  him  from  the  field 


204  EZEKIEL    COSTON. 

where  he  was  ploughing,  they  sat  down  together,  when 
he  told  Ezekiel  his  mind  had  long  been  uneasy  with 
holding  slaves,  and  that  he  must  let  him  go. 

Ezekiel  was  so  well  satisfied  with  his  present  situa- 
tion, that  he  told  his  master  he  could  not  leave  him. 
Their  conversation  on  the  stibject  produced  such  feel- 
ings of  tenderness  that  they  botJi  wept  much.  Finally, 
as  an  inducement  to  comply,  his  master  told  him  he 
might  remain  on  the  farm,  and  they  entered  into  a 
mutual  engagement,  which  was  carried  into  effect,  and 
Ezekiel  continued  to  live  on  the  farm  fourteen  years, 
when  his  master  gave  him  a  piece  of  land,  upon  which 
he  built  a  house,  where  he  remained  until  he  came  into 
the  neighborhood  of  Wilmington,  where  and  ill  that 
town  he  has  resided  until  the  present  time. 

After  relating  the  foregoing  narrative,  he  was  in- 
quired of  respecting  the  account  entitled  "  The  Good 
Master  and  his  Faithful  Slave "  —  a  circumstance 
which  took  place  about  the  time  of  his  being  liber- 
ated, and  in  the  same  family — to  which  he  bore  the 
following  testimony,  shedding  many  tears  while  the 
reader  was  pursuing  the  theme,  saying,  "  It  is  just  so, 
poor  Jem  and  I  lived  together  with  master,  and 
worked  together  in  harmony.  How  well  I  remember 
when  Jem  told  me  that  Master  Miiflin  had  done  the 
same  by  him  as  he  had  done  for  me. 

"  It  is  all  true — mistress  brought  a  number  of 
slaves  with  her  into  the  family,  after  master  married 
her — one  of  them  was  my  wife — all  the  rest  of  us, 
making,  I  suppose  about  thirty,  were  given  by  old 


AN   ANECDOTE.  205 

master  to  Master  Warner,  who  is  now  an  angel  in 
heaven.  Oh,  how  it  comforts  me  to  believe  that,  after 
suffering  a  few  more  pains,  I  shall  live  with  him  for 
ever  in  communion  sweet !  We  were  brought  up 
children  together,  slept  together,  eat  at  the  same 
table,  and  never  quarrelled." 

The  dear  old  man  seems  indeed  like  one  waiting 
with  Christian  resignation  for  an  entrance  into  the 
heavenly  kingdom.  I  have  no  doubt  of  the  correct- 
ness of  his  testimony.  He  appears  to  have  as  perfect 
a  recollection  of  the  days  of  his  childhood  as  though 
they  had  just  passed. 


AN  ANECDOTE, 

Communicated  to  a  Friend  on  the  way  from  Charleston  to 
Savannah  by  a  Fellow-Passenger. 

A  SLAVE  belonging  to  his  grandmother  was  carried 
off  when  a  boy  by  the  British,  in  the  time  of  the  revo- 
lutionary war,  to  Nova  Scotia,  where  he  lived  several 
years;  but  he  did  not  forget  his  old  home  and  friends, 
and  he  returned  to  his  mistress,  giving  himself  up  as 
a  slave.  But  she,  not  having  employment  for  him, 
talked  of  selling  him.  He  told  her  if  she  did,  he  was 
determined  to  destroy  himself,  for  that  it  was  nothing 
but  his  attachment  to  the  family  that  brought  him 
back.  Pie  was  then  suffered  to  work  out,  paying  a 
certain  part  of  his  wages  to  his  owner. 


206  THE    COLORED    FOUNDLING. 

The  family  soon  after  became  embarrassed  ;  and  one 
of  the  grandsons  was  sent  to  the  West  Indies  to  a  rela- 
tion. Just  as  he  was  embarking,  the  faithful  black  put 
into  his  hand  a  purse  containing  all  his  little  earnings, 
and  insisted  upon  his  young  master's  taking  it,  saying 
he  had  no  use  for  the  money  himself,  and  his  master 
might  want  it  in  a  strange  country,  away  from  his 
friends.  The  slave,  still  living  in  Charleston,  was 
suffered  to  work  for  himself.  He  has  had  repeated 
offers  of  his  liberty,  but  he  prefers  living  in  the  family 
that  brought  him  up. 


THE   COLORED   FOUNDLING. 

A  POOR,  but  honest  and  respectable  old  man,  whose 
name  was  Hector,  resided  in  Philadelphia.  He  and 
his  wife  lived  on  the  scanty  earnings  of  their  own 
hands,  in  a  very  small  cottage.  One  evening,  at  a 
late  hoxir,  a  woman  of  their  own  color,  with  an  infant, 
stopped  at  their  dwelling  and  asked  for  a  night's  lodg- 
ing, to  which  his  wife  answered,  "  We  can't  lodge  you, 
we  got  but  one  bed."  "  Oh,"  said  the  old  man,  seeing 
her  a  stranger  and  in  difficulty,  "let  her  tag  [stay], 
she  sleep  in  de  bed  with  you,  I  go  make  a  bed  on 
de  floor — must  not  turn  her  out  o'  doors." 

The  woman  accordingly  stayed ;  and  in  the  night, 
Hector  was  awakened  by  the  cries  of  the  child.  He 
arose  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  it,  and  found  the  mother 
was  gono ;  on  which  he  aroused  his  wife,  saying, 


THE    COLORED    FOUNDLING.  207 

"  Well,  Sukey,  you  see  de  woman  has  gone  off  and 
lef  de  child  for  you."  "Oh,"  said  his  wife,  "what 
shall  we  do  now  ?  She  never  come  again."  "  Well," 
returned  Hector,  "  then  you  must  take  care  of  him  : 
who  knows  God  Almighty  send  him  here  for  some- 
thing— may  be  to  take  care  of  us  in  our  old  age — must 
not  turn  him  out  o'  doors." 

So  they  fed  and  nourished  it  with  milk  from  the 
market — the  old  man  going  regularly  to  procxire  it. 
No  one  appearing,  the  child  became  their  adopted. 
When  he  had  attained  the  age  of  eight  or  nine  years, 
proving  an  active  lad,  they  put  him  to  a  chimney 
sweeper,  as  the  most  likely  way  for  him  to  become 
early  useful,  and  he  soon  contributed  a  little  to  his 
guai-clian's  subsistence. 

They  at  length  grew  quite  infirm,  and  the  wife  died. 
After  which,  the  neighbors,  thinking  it  too  much  for 
the  lad  to  have  the  whole  care  of  the  'old  man,  pre- 
vailed on  him  to  go  to  the  Bettering  House.  When 
there  the  boy  did  not  forsake  but  freqiiently  visited 
him,  and  continued  to  add  to  his  support  until  he 
died ;  a  few  days  after  which  the  lad  died  also,  having 
grown  up  beloved  and  respected. 


208  THE    GRATEFUL    NEGRO. 


THE  GRATEFUL  NEGRO. 

SOME  years  since,  a  gentleman,  who  was  the  pos- 
sessor of  considerable  property,  from  various  causes 
became  embarrassed  in  his  circumstances  and  was 
arrested  by  his  creditors,  and  confined  in  the  king's 
bench  prison  ;  whence  there  was  no  probability  of  his 
being  liberated,  unless  some  law  proceedings  (upon 
his  succeeding  in  which  the  recovery  of  a  great  part 
of  his  property  depended)  were  decided  in  his  favor. 

Thus  situated,  he  called  a  colored  man  who  had  for 
many  years  served  him  with  the  greatest  faithfulness, 
and  said,  "  Robert,  you  have  lived  with  me  many 
years,  but  I  am  now  unable  to  maintain  you  any 
longer;  you  must  leave  me,  and  endeavor  to  find 
another  master." 

The  poor  man,  well  remembering  his  master's  kind- 
ness, replied,  "  No,  massa,  me  no  leave  you ;  you 
maintain  me  many  years,  me  now  try  what  I  can  do 
for  you."  Robex-t  then  went  and  procured  employ- 
ment as  a  day  laborer,  and  regularly  brought  his  earn- 
ings to  his  master;  on  which,  though  small,  they 
managed  to  subsist  for  some  time,  until  the  law-suit 
was  decided  in  the  master's  favor,  and  he  thereby  re- 
gained possession  of  a  very  considerable  property. 

Mindful  of  his  faithful  servant,  one  of  his  first  acts 
was  to  settle  an  annuity  upon  him  for  the  remainder 
of  his  life,  sufficient  to  secure  to  the  poor  fellow  the 
enjoyment  of  those  comforts  he  had  so  weJJ  deserved. 


THE    FAITHFUL    NURSE.  209 

This  little  anecdote  may  afford  instruction  both  to 
the  nominal  and  professing  Christian :  let  the  former 
inquire,  Should  I  have  acted  thus,  if  in  a  similar 
situation  ? 


THE  FAITHFUL  NURSE. 
FROM  THE  LADIES'  MONTHLY  MUSEUM. 

IN  the  dreadful  earthquake  which  made  such 
ravages  in  the  island  of  St.  Domingo,  in  the  year 
1770,  a  colored  nurse  found  herself  alone  in  the 
house  of  her  master  and  mistress,  with  the  youngest 
child,  which  she  nursed.  The  house  shook  to  its 
foundation.  Every  one  had  taken  flight;  she  alone 
could  not  escape,  without  leaving  her  infant  charge  in 
danger. 

She  flew  to  the  chamber,  where  it  lay  in  the  most 
profound  sleep.  At  the  moment  the  walls  of  the 
house  fell  in,  anxious  only  for  the  safety  of  her  foster 
child,  she  threw  herself  over  it,  and  serving  as  a  sort 
of  arch,  saved  it  from  destruction.  The  child  was 
indeed  saved ;  but  the  unfortunate  nurse  died  soon 
after,  the  victim  of  her  fidelity. 


2 10  COFFIN. 

COFFIN. 

FROM   DR.    MOYES'S   LECTURES. 

DURING  the  late  war  a  gentleman  and  his  wife 
were  going  from  the  East  Indies  to  England.  His  wife 
died  on  the  passage,  and  left  two  infants,  the  charge 
of  which  fell  to  a  colored  boy  about  seventeen  years 
of  age.  The  gentleman,  for  some  reason  which  I  do 
not  recollect,  went  on  board  the  vessel  of  the  commo- 
dore of  the  fleet  in  which  they  sailed.  There  came 
on  a  violent  storm,  and  the  vessel  which  the  children 
were  on  board  of  was  on  the  point  of  being  lost. 

They  despatched  a  boat  from  the  commodore's 
vessel,  to  save  as  many  as  they  could.  They  had 
almost  filled  the  boat,  and  there  was  room  enough 
for  the  infants,  or  the  negro  boy.  What  did  he  do  ? 
He  did  not  hesitate  a  moment,  but  put  the  children 
into  the  boat,  and  said,  "  Tell  my  master  that  Coffin 
has  done  his  duty  ;  "  and  that  instant  he  was  received 
into  the  bosom  of  the  ocean,  never  more  to  return. 
The  queen  requested  the  celebrated  poetess,  Hannah 
Moore,  to  write  an  epic  poem  on  it,  but  she  wisely 
declined  it,  saying  that  no  art  could  embellish  so 
noble  a  sentiment. 


JAMES    DERHAM.  211 

JAMES  DERHAM, 

ORIGINALLY  a  slave  in  Philadelphia,  -was  sold  by 
his  master  to  a  physician,  who  employed  him  in  his 
shop  as  assistant  in  the  preparation  of  drugs.  During 
the  war  between  America  and  England  he  was  sold  to 
a  surgeon,  and  by  that  surgeon  to  Dr.  Robert  Dove, 
of  New  Orleans.  He  learned  the  English,  French, 
and  Spanish  languages,  so  as  to  speak  them  with 
ease. 

He  was  received  a  member  of  the  English  church  ; 
and  in  the  year  1 788,  when  he  was  about  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  he  became  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
physicians  in  New  Orleans.  "  1  conversed  with  him 
on  medicine,"  says  Dr.  Rush,  and  "  found  him  very 
learned.  I  thought  1  could  give  him  information 
concerning  the  treatment  of  diseases,  but  I  learned 
more  from  him  than  he  could  expect  from  me." 

The  Pennsylvania  Society,  established  in  favor  of 
the  people  of  color,  thought  it  their  duty,  in  1789,  to 
publish  these  facts,  which  are  also  related  by  Dick- 
son,  page  184.  In  the  Domestic  Medicine  of  Buchan, 
and  in  a  work  of  Duplaint,  we  find  accounts  of  a  cure 
for  the  bite  of  the  rattlesnake.  I  know  not  whether 
Derham  was  its  discoverer,  but  it  is  a  well-known  fact 
that  one  of  his  color  did  make  such  a  discovery,  for 
which  he  received,  from  the  General  Assembly  of 
Carolina,  his  freedom  and  an  annuity  of  a  hundred 
pounds  sterling. 


THE    AFRICAN    PRINCE. 


THE  AFRICAN  PRINCE. 

IN  the  most  flourishing  period  of  the  reign  of  Louis 
XIV.  two  African  youths,  the  sons  of  a  prince,  being 
brought  to  the  court  of  Fiance,  the  king  appointed  a 
Jesuit  to  instruct  them  in  letters  and  in  the  Christian 
religion  ;  and  gave  to  each  of  them  a  commission  in 
his  guards.  The  elder,  who  was  remarkable  for  can- 
dor and  ingenuousness,  made  great  improvement,  more 
particularly  in  the  doctrines  of  religion. 

A  brutal  officer,  upon  some  dispute,  insulted  him 
with  a  blow.  The  gallant  youth  never  so  much  as 
offered  to  resent  it.  A  person  who  was  his  friend 
took  an  opportunity  to  talk  with  him  that  evening 
alone  upon  his  behavior,  which  he  told  him  was  too 
tame,  especially  in  a  soldier.  "  Is  there  then,"  said 
the  young  African,  "  one  revelation  for  soldiers,  and 
another  for  merchants  and  gownsmen  ?  The  good 
father  to  whom  I  owe  all  my  knowledge,  has  earnestly 
inculcated  in  me  forgiveness  of  injuries  ;  assuring  me 
that  a  Christian  was  by  no  means  to  retaliate  abuses 
of  any  kind." 

"  The  good  father,"  replied  his  friend,  "  may  fit  you 
for  a  monastery,  by  his  lessons,  but  never  for  the 
army  and  the  rules  of  a  court.  In  a  word,"  continued 
he,  "  if  you  do  not  call  the  colonel  to  an  account,  you 
will  be  branded  with  the  infamy  of  cowardice,  and 
have  your  commission  taken  from  you."  "  I  would 
fain,"  said  the  young  man,  "  act  consistently  in  every 


UNCLE    HAEKY.  213 

thing ;  but  since  you  press  me  with  that  regard  to  my 
honor  which  you  have  always  shown,  I  will  wipe  off 
so  foul  a  stain ;  though  I  must  own  I  gloried  in  it  be- 
fore." 

Immediately  upon  this,  he  desired  his  friend  to  go 
from  him  and  appoint  the  aggressor  to  meet  him  early 
in  the  morning.  Accordingly,  they  met  and  fought, 
and  the  brave  African  youth  disarmed  his  adversary, 
and  forced  him  to  ask  his  pardon  publicly.  This 
done,  the  next  day  he  threw  up  his  commission,  and 
desired  the  king's  leave  to  return  to  his  father. 

At  parting,  he  embraced  his  brother  and  his  friends, 
with  tears  in  his  eyes,  saying  that  he  had  not  imagined 
Christians  to  be  so  \maccountable  a  people ;  that  he 
could  not  apprehend  their  faith  could  be  of  any  use  to 
them,  if  it  did  not  influence  their  practice  ;  and  that, 
in  his  country,  they  thought  it  no  dishonor  to  act  ac- 
cording to  the  principles  of  their  religion. 


UNCLE  HARRY. 

FROM    THE    LITERARY   AND    EVANGELICAL   MAGAZINE, 
1824. 

LATE  in  the  last  autumn  it  was  my  privilege  (says 
the  author)  to  spend  a  few  hours  in  the  hospitable 
mansion  of  the  Rev.  S.  B.  "VV.,  of  F.  I  arrived  at  his 
house  very  early  in  the  morning,  just  before  the 
family  assembled  to  perform  their  customary  devo- 


214  UNCLE    HARRY. 

tions.  On  the  signal  being  given,  the  children  and 
domestics  came  into  the  room  where  we  were  sitting. 

Among  the  latter,  there  was  a  veiy  aged  colored 
man,  whom  every  one  called  Uncle  Harry.  As  soon 
as  he  entered,  I  observed  that  Mr.  \V.  and  his  lady 
treated  him  with  marked  attention  and  kindness. 
The  morning  was  sharp  and  frosty,  and  Uncle  Harry 
had  a  chair  in  the  corner,  close  to  the  fire. 

The  portion  of  Scripture  selected  for  the  service 
was  the  second  chapter  of  Luke.  I  observed  that  the 
attention  of  Harry  was  deeply  fixed,  and  he  soon  be- 
gan to  manifest  strong  emotions.  The  old  man's  eye 
kindled  as  the  reader  went  on,  and  when  he  came  to 
the  tenth  verse,  Harry  appeared  as  though  his  heart 
was  tuned  to  the  angelic  song,  and  he  could  hardly 
help  uttering  a  shout  of  triumph. 

There  was  not,  however,  the  smallest  ostentation 
of  feeling,  or  endeavor  to  attract  attention.  He  only, 
in  a  gentle  manner,  turned  his  face  upward,  strongly 
clasping  his  hands  as  they  lay  on  his  lap,  and  express- 
ing by  his  countenance  the  joy  of  his  heart.  By  this 
time  he  had  interested  me  so  highly  that  I  could  not 
keep  my  eyes  from  him. 

I  watched  the  varying  expressions  of  his  counte- 
nance, and  saw  that  every  word  seemed  to  strike  on 
his  heart,  and  produce  a  corresponding  emotion.  I 
thought  I  would  give  the  world,  if  I  could  read  the 
Bible  just  as  Harry  heard  it.  While  I  was  thinking, 
and  looking  on  with  intense  interest,  the  reader  came 
to  the  passage  where  old  Simeon  saw  the  infant 


UNCLE    HARRY.  215 

Saviour,  took  him  in  his  arms,  blessed  God,  and  said  . 
"  Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in  peace, 
for  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation." 

Harry's  emotion  had  become  stronger  and  stronger, 
until  the  words  just  quoted  were  read,  when  he  was 
completely  overpowered.  Suddenly  turning  on  his 
seat,  to  hide  as  much  as  possible  his  feelings,  he  bent 
forward  and  burst  into  a  flood  of  tears ;  but  they 
were  tears  of  joy.  He  anticipated  his  speedy  peace- 
ful departure  and  his  final  rest.  This  state  of  feeling 
continued  during  the  remainder  of  the  service,  and 
when  we  rose  from  our  knees,  Uncle  Harry's  face 
seemed  literally  to  have  been  bathed  in  tears. 

As  soon  as  we  had  risen,  the  old  man  came  toward 
me  with  a  countenance  beaming  with  joy.  "  This," 
said  Mr.  "W.,  addressing  me,  "  is  Uncle  Harry"  He 
reached  out  his  hand  and  said :  "  Oh,  why  did  my 
God  bring  me  here  to-day,  to  hear  what  I  have  heard, 
and  see  this  salvation  ? "  I  asked :  "  Are  you  as 
ready  to  depart,  Uncle  Harry,  as  good  old  Simeon 
was,  of  whom  we  read  in  this  chapter  ? "  I  shall 
never  forget  his  look  of  humble,  joyful  submission, 
when  he  replied,  "Just  when  it  shall  please  my  bless- 
ed Lord  and  Master."  "  You  hope  to  go  to  heaven?  " 
"  Through  divine  mercy,  I  do."  "  What  is  the  foun- 
dation of  that  hope  ?  "  "  The  righteousness  of  our 
Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ." 

On  perceiving  that  I  wished  to  converse  with  the 
old  man,  Mr.  W.  said,  with  a  kindness  which  showed 
that  he  recognized  Harry  as  a  Christian  brother,  and 


216  UNCLE    HAKRY. 

respected  his  age :  "  Come,  take  your  seat  again, 
Uncle  Harry,  and  sit  up  near  the  fire."  He  accepted 
the  invitation,  and  I  entered  into  conversation,  which 
afforded  me  higher  pleasure  than  I  ever  enjoyed  in 
the  circles  of  fashion,  beauty,  wit  and  learning.  I 
here  send  you  some  of  the  most  interesting  particu- 
lars. 

"  How  old  are  you,  Uncle  Harry  ? "  "  Why,  as 
nigh  as  I  can  tell,  I  am  eighty-nine  or  thereabout." 
"  Where  were  you  born  ?  "  "  At  Port  Tobacco,  in 
Maryland."  "  And  who  had  you  to  preach  the  gospel 
to  you  there  ?  "  "  Ah,  we  had  no  preacher  of  the 
gospel  there  at  that  time."  "  Then  it  was  after  you 
left  Port  Tobacco  that  you  embraced  religion,  was 
it?"  "No,  sir,  it  was  while  I  lived  there,  and  I 
will  tell  you  how  it  was  :  A  great  many  years  ago 
there  was  one  Dr.  Whitefield,  that  travelled  all 
through  this  country,  preaching  the  gospel  every- 
where ;  I  dare  say  you  have  heard  of  Dr.  Whitefield, 
he  was  a  most  powerful  preacher. 

"  Well,  as  I  was  saying,  he  went  through  Mary- 
land, but  his  place  of  preaching  was  so  far  off  that  I 
did  not  hear  of  it  until  he  was  gone.  But  not  long 
afterwards  I  met  a  man,  an  acquaintance  of  mine,  who 
did  hear  him.  He  told  me  about  the  sermon ;  and 
what  I  heard  opened  my  eyes  to  see  that  I  was  a  poor 
lost  sinner ;  and  ever  since  that  time  I  have  been  de- 
termined to  seek  Jesus  as  my  Saviour,  and  to  spend 
my  life  in  His  service." 

Happy  Whitefield  !  thought  I,  and  greatly  honored 


UNCLE    HARRY.  217 

of  thy  Master,  who  has  used  thee  as  His  instrument 
in  saving  so  many  souls.  "  But,"  said  I,  "  how  old 
were  you  then  ?  "  "  Why,  as  nigh  as  I  can  guess,  I 
was  somewhere  about  sixteen  or  seventeen  years  old." 
"  And  have  you  never  repented  of  this  resolution?  " 
"  No,  indeed,  master ;  I  have  never  repented  of  any 
thing,  but  that  I  have  served  my  blessed  Saviour  so 
poorly." 

"  But  have  you  not  met  many  trials  and  difficulties 
by  the  way  ?  "  "  Yes,  indeed,  master  ;  but  out  of 
them  all  the  Lord  has  delivered  me  ;  and  having  ob- 
tained help  of  God,  I  continue  to  this  day  :  blessed  be 
His  name  ;  He  never  will  leave  me  or  forsake  me ;  I 
have  good  hope  of  that." 

*'  Well,  how  did  you  obtain  religious  instruction 
where  you  lived,  as  you  say  there  was  no  preacher  of 
the  gospel  in  the  neighborhood  ?  "  "  Why,  by  the 
mercy  of  my  God,  I  learned  to  read  the  Bible ;  and 
that  showed  me  the  way  to  Jesus.  But  now  I  think 
of  it,  when  the  Roman  Catholics  heard  that  I  was 
concerned  about  my  soul,  they  sent  for  me,  and  tried 
hard  to  get  me  to  join  them. 

"There  was  a  priest  at  Port  Tobacco,  whose  name 
was  Mr.  O'Neal ;  he  talked  to  me  a  great  deal.  I 
remember  he  said  to  me  one  day, '  Harry,  now  you 
are  concerned  about  your  soul,  you  must  come  and 
join  the  Catholic  church.'  '  What  for,'  said  I,  '  Mr. 
O'Neal  ?  '  '  Because,'  said  he,  '  it  is  the  true  church.' 
'  Then,'  said  I,  '  if  the  Catholic  church  will  lead  me  to 
Jesus,  I  will  join  it  with  all  my  heart,  for  that  is  all 
10 


218  UNCLE  HAKRY. 

I  want;'  and  Mr.  O'Neal  said,  'If  you  will  join  the 
church,  I  will  warrant  that  you  shall  go  to  heaven.' 
*  How  can  you  do  that,  Mr.  O'Neal  ? '  said  I. 

"  Then  he  told  me  that  a  great  many  years  ago  our 
Saviour  came  into  the  world,  and  He  chose  twelve 
apostles,  and  made  St.  Peter  their  head ;  and  the 
Pope  succeeded  St.  Peter ;  and  so  all  that  join  the 
Pope  belong  to  the  true  church.  '  Then,'  said  I, 
'  why,  how  do  you  know  that,  Mr.  O'Neal  ?  '  '  Be- 
cause,' said  he,  '  our  Saviour  told  Peter,  I  give  you  the 
keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven;  and  whatsoever  you 
bind  on  earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven,  and  whatso- 
ever you  loose  on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven.' 

"  And  I  said,  '  The  Lord  knows  how  it  is,  Mr. 
O'Neal ;  I  am  a  poor  ignorant  creature,  but  it  always 
did  seem  to  me  that  Peter  was  nothing  but  a  man, 
like  the  other  apostles ; '  but  Mr.  O'Neal  said,  '  No, 
he  was  the  head  and  chief  of  the  apostles ;  for  our 
Savioiir  said  again,  Thou  art  Peter,  and  on  this  rock 
I  will  build  My  church  ;  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall 
not  prevail  against  it.'  And  I  asked  him,  '  Now,  do 
you  think  Peter  was  that  rock,  Mr.  O'Neal  ? '  He 
answered,  '  To  be  sure  he  was ; '  and  I  said  again, 
'  The  Lord  knows  how  it  is ;  but  it  never  did  seem  so 
to  me. 

'  Now  I  think  it  was  jxist  so — when  Peter  said, 
Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  our 
Saviour  told  him,  Thou  art  Peter?"  (while  the  old 
man  repeated  the  words,  Thou  art  Peter,  he  pointed 
his  finger  at  me,  and  looked  me  directly  in  the  face, 


UNCLE    HARRY.  219 

but  as  soon  as  he  began  the  following  part  of  the 
quotation  he  brought  his  hand  briskly  down  to  his 
knee,  saying  with  emphasis,  as  he  looked  at  himself), 
"  '  and  upon  this  rock  will  I  build  My  church  ;  and 
that  rock  was  Christ ;  for  it  is  written  in  another 
place,  Behold,  I  lay  in  Zion  a  chief  corner-stone, 
elect,  precious ;  and  he  that  believeth  on  Him  shall 
not  be  confounded  ;  and  that  corner-stone  is  Christ.' 

"Then  Mr.  O'Neal  said  to  me,  'Why,  Harry, 
where  did  you  learn  that  ? '  I  said,  '  From  my 
Bible.'  '  Oh  ! '  said  he,  '  you  have  no  business  with 
the  Bible  ;  it  will  confuse  and  frustrate  you.'  But  I 
said,  '  It  tells  me  of  my  Saviour.'  Then  a  gentleman, 
who  was  sitting  by,  said,  '  Oh  !  you  might  as  well  let 
him  alone,  Mr.  O'Neal ;  you  cannot  make  anything  of 
him  ; '  and  from  that  time  I  never  had  any  desire  to 
join  the  Roman  Catholics." 

The  narrative,  of  the  truth  of  which  I  could  not 
entertain  a  moment's  doubt,  showed  a  promptness  of 
reply  and  an  acquaintance  with  the  Scriptures  which 
truly  surprised  me,  and  I  remarked,  "  I  suppose, 
Uncle  Harry,  you  take  great  pleasure  in  reading  the 
Bible  ?  "  "  Ah,  master  !  when  I  could  read,  it  was 
the  pleasure  of  my  life.  But  I  am  old  now  ;  and  my 
book  is  so  rubbed  that  the  print  is  dim,  and  I  can 
scarcely  make  out  to  read  a  word." 

On  this,  Mr.  W.  said,  «  Well,  Uncle  Harry,  you 

shall  have  a  new  Bible.  Do  you  call  on  Mr.  , 

when  you  go  down  town,  and  he  will  give  you  a  new 
one  from  the  Bible  Society."  Harry  bowed,  and  ex- 


220  UNCLE   HARRY. 

pressed  gratitude  for  the  kindness,  but  did  not  mani- 
fest as  much  pleasure  as  I  expected,  considering  how 
highly  he  professed  to  value  the  Bible.  While  I  was 
wondering,  and  rather  sorrowing  on  the  account,  I 
observed  the  old  man  to  be  feeling,  with  an  air  of 
embarrassment,  in  his  pocket. 

At  length  he  pulled  out  an  old  tattered  case,  which 
appeared  to  have  been  long  in  use,  and  observed, 
"  This  new  Bible  will  not  be  of  much  use  to  me, 
because  my  spectacles  are  so  bad  that  they  help  me 
very  little  in  reading."  With  that  he  opened  his 
case,  and  showed  a  pair  of  spectacles  of  the  cheapest 
sort,  of  which  one  glass  was  broken,  and  the  other  so 
scratched,  that  it  was  wonderful  that  he  could  see 
through  it  at  all. 

Mr.  W.  no  sooner  observed  this  than  he  said, 
"  Well,  Uncle  Harry,  you  must  have  a  new  pair ;  do 

call  at  Mr.  's  store,  and  tell  him  to  let  you  have 

a  pair  suited  to  your  age,  and  I  will  settle  with  him 
about  it."  On  hearing  this,  Harry's  eyes  gleamed 
with  joy,  and  he  exclaimed,  "  Thank  God  !  God 
bless  you,  master  !  Now  I  shall  have  comfort  again 
in  reading  the  Bible."  And  I  never  saw  a  happier, 
or  a  more  grateful  countenance. 

Presently,  he  said  the  wagon  would  soon  call  for 
him  to  take  him  home,  and  he  nnist  go  down  town, 
and  be  getting  ready  :  on  which  he  again  thanked  his 
friend,  and  invoked  a  blessing  on  him  and  his  family.. 
He  then  affectionately  and  respectfully  took  me  by 
the  hand,  and  said,  "  I  never  saw  you  before,  and  I 


UNCLE    HARRY.  221 

never  shall  see  you \again  in  this  world ;  but  I  love 
you  as  a  minister  of  my  blessed  Lord  and  Master,  and 
I  hope  that  I  shall  meet  you  in  the  house  above. 
Remember  and  pray  for  poor  old  Harry." 

I  squeezed  his  hand,  and  assured  him  of  my  affec- 
tionate remembrance,  and  requested  that  he  would 
pray  for  me,  and  for  the  preachers  of  the  Gospel  gener- 
ally. "  Oh  !  "  said  he,  "  may  God  Almighty  bless  all 
the  dear  ministers  of  Christ,  and  enable  them  to  call 
many  poor  sinners  to  the  dear  Saviour  !  Oh  !  I  do 
love  to  hear  of  souls  coming  to  Christ ;  and  it  is  my 
daily  prayer — Thy  kingdom  come,  and  Thy  will  be 
done  on  earth,  as  it  is  done  in  heaven  !  "  With  that 
the  old  man  took  leave. 

I  confess  that  I  have  often  since  wished  to  see  him 
and  hold  communion  with  him.  There  was  about 
him  a  spirit  of  piety  and  benevolence,  of  humble  zeal 
and  fervent  hope,  of  meekness  and  submission,  which 
I  have  rarely  seen  equalled.  At  the  same  time,  there 
was  a  degree  of  intelligence,  an  extent  of  religious 
knowledge,  which,  in  his  condition,  really  surprised 
and  delighted  me. 

I  saw  here  one  of  the  triumphs  of  divine  grace.  I 
was  made  to  appreciate  the  value  and  the  excellence 
of  that  religion  which  could  take  a  poor  slave,  and  so 
transform  him,  that  he  was  well  nigh  fitted  to  be  a 
companion  of  saints  in  light,  and  of  just  men  made 
perfect.  And  since  I  saw  him,  I  have  often  prayed 
that  after  the  days  of  my  wandering  shall  be  over, 
and  all  the  sufferings  of  my  life  shall  be  endured,  I 


222  THE    HOSPITABLE    NEGRO    WOMAN: 

may  obtain  a  share  in  the  rest,  and  a  lot  in  the 
inheritance,  which  I  have  no  doubt  are  prepared  for 
Uncle  Harry. 


THE  HOSPITABLE  NEGRO  WOMAN. 

THE  enterprising  traveller,  Miingo  Park,  was  em- 
ployed by  the  African  Association  to  explore  the 
interior  regions  of  Africa.  In  this  hazardous  under- 
taking, he  encountered  many  dangers  and  difficulties. 
His  wants  were  often  supplied,  and  his  distress  allevi- 
ated, by  the  kindness  and  compassion  of  negroes.  He 
gives  the  following  lively  and  interesting  account  of 
the  hospitable  treatment  he  received  from  a  poor 
negro  woman : 

"  Being  arrived  at  Sego,  the  capital  of  the  kingdom 
of  Bambarra,  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Niger,  I 
wished  to  pass  over  to  that  part  of  the  town  in  which 
the  king  resides ;  but  from  the  number  of  persons 
eager  to  obtain  a  passage,  I  was  under  the  necessity 
of  waiting  two  hours.  During  this  time  the  people 
who  had  crossed  the  river  carried  information  to 
Mansong,  the  king,  that  a  white  man  was  waiting  for 
a  passage,  and  was  coming  over  to  see  him. 

"  He  immediately  sent  over  one  of  his  chief  men, 
who  informed  me  that  the  king  could  not  possibly  see 
me  until  he  knew  what  had  brought  me  into  this 
country,  and  that  I  must  not  presume  to  cross  the 
river  without  the  king's  permission.  He  therefore 


THE    HOSPITABLE    NEGRO    WOMAN".  223 

advised  me  to  lodge,  for  that  night,  in  a  distant  vil- 
lage, to  which  he  pointed,  and  said  that  in  the  morn- 
ing he  would  give  me  further  instruction  how  to  con- 
duct myself.  This  was  very  discouraging.  However, 
as  there  was  no  remedy,  I  set  off  for  the  village  ; 
where  I  found,  to  my  great  mortification,  that  no 
person  would  admit  me  into  his  house. 

"  From  prejudices  infused  into  their  minds,  I  was 
regarded  with  astonishment  and  fear ;  and  I  was 
obliged  to  sit  the  whole  day  without  victuals,  in  the 
shade  of  a  tree.  The  night  threatened  to  be  very 
uncomfortable ;  the  wind  rose,  and  there  was  great 
appearance  of  a  heavy  rain.  The  wild  beasts  too 
were  so  numerous  in  the  neighborhood,  that  I  should 
have  been  under  the  necessity  of  climbing  up  a  tree, 
and  resting  among  the  branches. 

"  About  sunset,  however,  as  I  was  preparing  to 
pass  the  night  in  this  manner,  and  had  turned  my 
horse  loose,  that  he  might  graze  at  liberty,  a  negro 
woman,  returning  from  the  labors  of  the  field,  stopped 
to  observe  me  ;  and  perceiving  that  I  was  weary  and 
dejected,  she  inquired  into  my  situation.  I  briefly 
explained  it  to  her ;  after  which,  with  looks  of  great 
compassion,  she  took  up  my  saddle  and  bridle,  and 
told  me  to  follow  her.  Having  conducted  me  into 
her  hut,  she  lighted  a  lamp,  spread  a  mat  on  the  floor, 
and  told  me  I  might  remain  there  for  the  night. 

"  Finding  I  was  very  hungry,  she  went  out  to  pro-; 
cure  me  something  to  eat ;  and  returned  in  a  short 
time  with  a  very  fine  fish,  which,  having  caused  it  to 


224  THE   HOSPITABLE    NEGRO    WOMAN. 

be  half  broiled  upon  some  embers,  she  gave  me  for 
supper.  The  rites  of  hospitality  being  thus  performed 
toward  a  stranger  in  distress,  my  worthy  benefactress 
(pointing  to  the  mat,  and  telling  me  I  might  sleep 
there  without  apprehension),  called  to  the  female  part 
of  her  family,  who  had  stood  gazing  on  me  all  the 
while  in  fixed  astonishment,  to  resume  their  task  of 
spinning  cotton  ;  in  which  they  continued  to  employ 
themselves  a  great  part  of  the  night. 

"  They  lightened  their  labor  by  songs,  one  of  which 
was  composed  extempore ;  for  I  was  myself  the  sub- 
ject of  it.  It  was  sung  by  one  of  the  young  women, 
the  rest  joining  in  a  sort  of  .chorus.  The  air  was 
sweet  and  plaintive,  and  the  words,  literally  trans- 
lated, were  these  :  '  The  winds  roared,  and  the  rain 
fell.  The  poor  white  man,  faint  and  weary,  came  and 
sat  under  our  tree.  He  has  no  mother  to  bring  him 
milk,  no  wife  to  grind  his  corn.'  Chorus :  '  Let  us 
pity  the  white  man ;  no  mother  has  be  to  bring  him 
milk,  no  wife  to  grind  his  corn.'  * 

"  Trifling  as  these  events  may  appear  to  the  reader, 
they  were  to  me  affecting  in  the  highest  degree.  I 

*  These   simple   and   affecting  sentiments  have  been  very  b3antifully 
versified. 

1.  The  loud  wind  roar'd,  the  rain  fell  fast, 
The  white  man  yielded  to  the  blast. 
He  sat  him  down  beneath  the  tree, 
For  weary,  sad,  and  faint  was  he  : 
And  ah  !  no  wife's  or  mother's  care, 
For  him  the  milk  or  corn  prepare. 


GRATITUDE    IN    A    LIBERATED    SLAVE.  225 

was  oppressed  by  such  unexpected  kindness,  and  sleep 
fled  from  my  eyes.  In  the  morning,  I  presented  to 
my  compassionate  landlady  two  of  the  four  brass 
buttons  which  remained  on  my  waistcoat ;  the  only 
recompense  it  was  in  my  power  to  make  her." 


GRATITUDE  IN  A  LIBERATED  SLAVE. 


SOME  time  in  the  year  1790  a  member  of  the  Man- 
umission Society,  residing  on  Golden  Hill  (now  called 
John  Street)  in  Kew  York,  observed,  for  a  consider- 
able time,  his  front  porch  to  be  scrubbed  and  sanded, 
every  Seventh-day  morning  before  the  family  were  up. 

CHORUS. 

The  white  man  shall  our  pity  share — 
Alas  !  no  wife's  or  mother's  care 
For  him  the  milk  or  corn  prepare. 

2.  The  storm  is  o'er,  the  tempest  past, 
And  Mercy's  voice  has  hush'd  the  blast ; 
The  wind  is  heard  in  whispers  low, 
The  white  man  far  away  must  go  j 
But  ever  in  his  heart  will  bear 
Remembrance  of  the  negro's  care. 

CHORUS. 

Go,  while  man,  go  ;  but  with  thee  bear 
The  negro's  wish,  the  negro's  prayer, 
Remembrance  of  the  negro's  care. 
10* 


226  AGNES    MORRIS. 

He  ordered  a  servant  to  watch,  and  ascertain  to  whom 
he  was  indebted  for  this  singular  mark  of  kindness. 

At  an  early  hour  in  the  morning  a  colored  woman 
was  observed  with  her  pail,  bi-ush,  cloth,  soap  and 
sand,  carefully  performing  her  accustomed  task.  The 
domestic  who  had  been  on  the  watch  followed  her 
home,  and  requested  to  know  her  inducements  for 
performing  this  service.  Her  reply  was,  "  Massa  got 
me  free,  and  I  can  do  no  less  than  scrub  off  the 
stoop."  A  gratitude  so  genuine  and  xmtainted  is 
rarely  found  among  the  most  polished  and  refined 
minds. 


AGNES  MORRIS. 

ANOTHER  narrative,  respecting  a  dying  woman,  dis- 
plays a  faith  so  strong,  a  hope  so  full  of  immortality, 
as  may  lead  the. Christian  reader  to  exclaim,  "  Let  my 
last  hours  be  like  those  of  this  poor  slave."  Agnes 
Morris,  a  poor  negro  woman,  sent  a  pressing  request 
to  Mrs.  Thwaites,  a  lady  residing  in  Antigua,  to  visit 
her :  she  was  in  the  last  stage  of  dropsy. 

This  poor  creature  ranked  among  the  lowest  class 
of  slaves.  Her  all  consisted  of  a  little  wattled*  hut 
and  a  few  clothes.  Mrs.  Thwaites,  finding  her  at  the 
commencement  of  her  illness  in  a  very  destitute  con- 
dition, mentioned  her  case  to  a  friend,  who  gave  her  a 
coat.  When  she  paid  her  last  visit,  on  her  entering 
the  door,  Agnes  exclaimed,  "  Missis !  you  come ! 

*  Plaited  twigs. 


AGNES    MORRIS.  227 

This  tongue  can't  tell  what  Jesus  do  for  me  !  Me 
call  my  Saviour  day  and  night ;  and  He  come  " — lay- 
ing her  hand  on  her  breast — "  He  comfort  me  here." 

On  being  asked  if  she  was  sure  of  going  to  heaven 
when  she  died,  she  answered,  "Yes,  me  sure.  Me 
see  de  way  clear,  and  shine  before  me  " — looking  and 
pointing  upward  with  a  smiling  face.  "  If  di  dis 
minute,  Jesus  will  take  me  home,  me  ready."  Some 
hymns  being  sung,  she  was  in  a  rapture  of  joy;  and 
in  reference  to  the  words  of  one  of  them,  exclaimed, 
"For  me-^-for  me — poor  sinner!" — lifting  up  her 
swelled  hands — "  what  a  glory  !  what  a  glory  !  " 

Seeing  her  only  daughter  weeping,  she  said,  "  What 
you  cry  for?  No  cry — follow  Jesus — He  will  take 
care  of  you."  And  turning  to  Mrs.  Thwaites,  she 
said,  '*  Missis,  show  um  de  path :  "  meaning  the  path 
to  heaven.  Many  other  expressions  fell  from  her  of 
a  similar  nature,  to  the  astonishment  of  those  who 
heard  her.  It  was  understood  she  continued  praying 
and  praising  God  to  her  latest  breath. 

This  poor  creature  was  destitute  of  all  earthly  com- 
forts. Her  bed  was  a  board,  with  a  few  plantain 
leaves  over  it.  How  many  of  these  outcasts  will  be 
translated  from  outward  wretchedness  to  realms  of 
glory,  there  to  mingle  with  the  blessed,  and  sing 
praises  to  Hun  who  lives  for  ever ! 


228    EXTRAORDINARY    EXERTIONS    TO    OBTAIN    LIBERTY. 


EXTRAORDINARY  EXERTIONS  TO  OBTAIN 
LIBERTY. 

THAT  human  being  who  would  run  the  gauntlet 
for  freedom  so  desperately  as  the  poor  African  ap- 
pears to  have  done,  whose  story  is  given  below,  surely 
should  never  again  be  brought  under  the  lash  of  a 
taskmaster.  The  captain  of  a  vessel  from  North  Car- 
olina called  upon  the  police  for  advisement  respect- 
ing a  slave  he  had  unconsciously  brought  away  in  his 
vessel,  under  the  following  curious  circumstances : 

Three  or  four  days  after  he  had  got  to  sea  he  be- 
gan  to  be  haunted  every  hour  with  tones  of  distress 
seemingly  proceeding  from  a  human  voice  in  the  very 
lowest  part  of  the  vessel.  A  particular  scrutiny  was 
finally  instituted,  and  it  was  concluded  that  the  crea- 
ture, whatever  or  whoever  it  might  be,  must  be  con- 
fined down  in  the  run  under  the  cabin  floor  ;  and  on 
boring  a  hole  with  an  auger,  and  demanding,  '  Who's 
there  ?  '  a  feeble  voice  responded,  '  Poor  negro,  mas- 
sa  ! '  It  was  clear  enough  then  that  some  runaway 
negro  had  hid  himself  there  before  they  sailed,  trust- 
ing to  Providence  for  his  ultimate  escape. 

Having  discovered  him,  however,  it  was  impossible 
to  give  him  relief,  for  the  captain  had  stowed  even 
the  cabin  so  completely  full  of  cotton  as  but  just  to 
leave  room  for  a  small  table  for  himself  and  the  mate 
to  eat  on ;  and  as  for  unloading  at  sea,  that  was  pretty 
much  out  of  the  question.  Accordingly,  there  he  had 


WILLIAM    BOWEtf.  229 

to  lie,  stretched  at  full  length,  for  the  tedious  interval 
of  thirteen  days,  till  the  vessel  arrived  in  port  and  un- 
loaded, receiving  his  food  and  drink  through  the 
auger  hole. 

The  fellow's  story  is,  now  he  is  released,  that,  being 
determined  to  get  away  from  slavery,  he  supplied 
himself  with  eggs,  and  biscuit,  and  some  jugs  of  water, 
which  latter  he  was  just  on  the  point  of  depositing  in 
his  lurking-place,  when  he  discovered  the  captain  at  a 
distance  coining  on  board,  and  had  to  hurry  down  as 
fast  as  possible  and  leave  them ;  that  he  lived  on 
nothing  but  his  eggs  and  biscuit  till  discovered  by 
the  captain,  not  even  getting  a  drop  of  water,  except 
what  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  catch  in  his  hand  one 
day,  when  a  vessel  of  water  in  the  cabin  was  overset, 
during  a  squall,  and  some  of  it  ran  down  through  the 
cracks  of  the  floor  over  him. 


WILLIAM  BOWEK 

DIED,  near  Mount  Holly,  New  Jersey,  12th  of 
sixth  month,  1824,  in  the  90th  year  of  his  age,  Wil- 
liam Bowen,  a  man  of  color.  The  deceased  was  one 
of  those  who  have  demonstrated  the  truth  of  that  por- 
tion of  Scripture  that,  "in  every  nation,  he  that  fear- 
eth  God  and  worketh  righteousness  is  accepted  with 
Him." 

He  was  concerned  in  early  life  to  do  justly,  love 


230  ANTHONY    BKNEZET. 

mercy,  and  walk  humbly  with  his  God  ;  and  by  closely 
attending  to  the  light  of  Christ,  and  faithfully  abiding 
under  the  operation  of  that  blessed  spirit  of  Divine 
Grace  in  his  soul,  he  was  enabled  not  only  to  bear 
many  precious  testimonies,  through  his  life,  but  to 
bring  forth  those  fruits  of  the  Spirit  which  redound 
to  the  glory  of  God  and  to  the  salvation  of  the  soul. 

He  was  an  exemplary  member  of  the  religious  So- 
cietv  of  Friends.  As  he  lived  so  he  died,  a  rare  pat- 
tern of  a  self-denying  follower  of  Jesus  Christ.  He 
had  no  apparent  disease  either  of  body  or  mind  ;  and 
as  he  expressed  himself,  but  a  short  time  before  his 
death,  "  he  felt  nothing  but  weakness,"  which  con- 
tinued to  increase  until  he  gently  breathed  his  last, 
and  no  doubt  entered  into  his  Heavenly  Father's  rest. 
"  Mark  the  perfect  man,  and  behold  the  upright,  for 
the  end  of  that  man  is  peace." 


ANTHONY  BENEZET. 

DIED,  on  the  3d  of  fifth  month,  1784,  Anthony 
Benezet,  aged  71  years,  a  member  of  the  Society  of 
Friends.  It  was  a  day  of  sorrow.  The  afflicted 
widow,  the  unprotected  orphan,  and  the  poor  of  all 
descriptions,  had  lost  the  sympathetic  mind  of  Bene- 
zet. Society  lamented  the  extinguishment  of  the  bril- 
liant light  of  his  philanthropy. 

The  wandering  tribes  in  the  American  wilderness, 


ANTHONY    BENEZET.  231 

and  the  oppressed  Africans,  were  indeed  bereft ;  for 
'  his  willing  pen  and  tongvie  had  ceased  forever  to  por- 
tray the  history  of  their  injuries,  or  plead  for  the  es- 
tablishment of  their  rights,  before  the  sons  of  men. 

At  the  interment  of  his  remains,  in  Friends'  burial 
ground  in  Philadelphia,  was  the  greatest  concourse  of 
people  that  had  ever  been  witnessed  on  such  an  occa- 
sion ;  being  a  collection  of  all  ranks  and  professions 
among  the  inhabitants ;  thus  manifesting  the  uni- 
versal esteem  in  which  he  was  held. 

Among  others  who  paid  that  last  tribute  of  respect 
were  many  hundred  colored  people,  testifying,  by  their 
attendance  and  by  their  tears,  the  grateful  sense  they 
entertained  of  his  pious  efforts  in  their  behalf.  Hav- 
ing no  children,  by  his  will  he  bequeathed  his  estate 
to  his  wife  during  her  natural  life.  At  her  decease, 
he  directed  several  small  sums  to  be  paid  to  poor  and 
obscure  persons. 

The  residue  he  devised  in  trust  to  the  overseers  of 
the  public  school,  "  to  hire  and  employ  a  religious- 
minded  person  or  persons  to  teach  a  number  of  negro, 
mulatto  or  Indian  children  to  read,  write,  arithmetic, 
plain  accounts,  needle-work,  etc.  And  it  is  my  par- 
ticular desire,  founded  on  the  experience  I  have  had 
in  that  service,  that,  in  the  choice  of  such  tutor, 
special  care  may  be  taken  to  prefer  an  industrious, 
careful  person,  of  true  piety,  who  may  be  or  become 
suitably  qualified,  who  would  undertake  the  service 
from  a  principle  of  charity,  to  one  more  highly  learn- 
ed not  equally  disposed." 


232  '  ANTHONY    BENEZET. 

He  also  bequeathed,  as  a  special  legacy,  the  sum  of 
fifty  pounds  to  the  Society  in  Pennsylvania  for  the 
promotion  of  the  abolition  of  slavery.  Thus  closed 
the  life  of  this  great  and  good  man.  Dispensing  his 
blessings  with  his  own  hand,  he  was  too  liberal  to  be 
a  man  of  wealth.  He  was  a  native  of  France  ;  and  in 
the  ancient  records  of  his  family  are  exhibited  evi- 
dences of  religious  character  in  his  predecessors. 

Connected  with  the  demise  of  his  gi'audfather,  the 
event  is  said  to  be,  "  to  the  great  affliction  of  his  chil- 
dren, and  the  universal  regret  of  his  relatives  and 
friends,  for  he  was  a  model  of  virtue  and  purity,  and 
lived  in  the  constant  fear  of  God."  Attached  to  the 
birth-note  of  his  grandson  Anthony,  are  these  expres- 
sions:  "May  God  bless  him,  in  making  him  a  par- 
taker of  his  mercies."  Though  virtue  is  not  heredi- 
tary, it  must  be  admitted  that  example  is  powerful. 

Among  the  productions  of  Anthony  Benezet's  pen, 
was,  "  An  historical  account  of  Guinea,  its  situation, 
produce,  and  the  general  disposition  of  its  inhabi- 
tants ;  with  an  inquiry  into  the  rise  and  progress  of 
the  slave  trade,  its  nature,  and  calamitous  effects." 

Note  from  the  Memoirs  of  A.  J^enezet. 

The  influence  of  this  work,  in  giving  an  impulse  to 
the  mind  of  the  indefatigable  and  benevolent  Thomas 
Clarkson,  whose  exertions  contributed  so  much  toward 
bringing  about  the  abolition  of  the  slave  trade  by  the 
British  Parliament,  is  certainly  remarkable.  In  the 


ANTHONY    BEXEZET.  233 

year  1785,  Dr.  Packard,  vice-chancellor  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Cambridge,  proposed  to  the  senior  Bachel- 
ors of  Arts,  of  whom  Clarkson  was  one,  the  following 
question  for  a  Latin  dissertation  :  viz.  (in  English), 
"  Is  it  right  to  make  slaves  of  others  against  their 
will  ?  " 

Having  in  the  former  year  gained  a  prize  for  the 
best  Latin  dissertation,  he  resolved  to  maintain  the 
classical  reputation  he  had  acquired  by  applying  him- 
self to  the  subject ;  but  it  was  one  with  which  he  was 
by  no  means  familiar,  and  he  was  at  a  loss  what 
authors  to  consult  respecting  it ;  "  when  going  by 
accident,"  he  says,  "  into  a  friend's  house,  I  took  up  a 
newspaper  then  lying  on  the  table. 

"  One  of  the  articles  which  attracted  my  notice, 
was  an  advertisement  of  Anthony  Beuezet's  historical 
account  of  Guinea.  I  soon  left  my  friend  and  his 
paper,  and,  to  lose  no  time,  hastened  to  London  to 
buy  it.  In  this  precious  book  I  found  almost  all  I 
wanted."  The  information  furnished  by  Benezet's 
book  encouraged  him  to  complete  his  essay,  which 
was  rewarded  with  the  first  prize ;  and  from  that  mo- 
ment, Clarkson's  mind  became  interested  with  the 
great  subject  of  the  abolition. 


234  EXTRAORDINARY    MUNIFICENCE. 

EXTRAORDINARY  MUNIFICENCE. 

FROM    THE    GENIUS    OF    UNIVERSAL   EMANCIPATION 

1825. 

A  PARAGRAPH  has  lately  gone  the  round  of  the 
papers  announcing  that  a  gentleman  of  Virginia  had 
emancipated  upwards  of  eighty  slaves,  and  chartered 
a  vessel  to  send  them  at  his  own  expense  to  Hayti, 
but  without  giving  the  name  of  the  author  of  so  dis- 
tinguished an  act  of  munificence. 

"  We  think  it  due  to  justice,"  says  the  Norfolk 
Herald,  "  to  supply  this  deficiency,  and  to  add  the 
following  facts,  which  have  been  communicated  to  us 
by  gentlemen  familiar  with  them,  as  well  as  by  Cap- 
tain Russell,  one  of  the  owners  of  the  brig  Hannah 
and  Elizabeth,  of  Baltimore,  the  vessel  chartered. 

"  The  gentleman  who  has  thus  distinguished  him- 
self, is  David  Mirige,  of  Charles  City  county,  living 
near  Sandy  Point,  on  James  River.  Captain  Russell 
informs  us  that  there  were  put  on  board  the  Hannah 
and  Elizabeth  eighty-seven  colored  people  of  different 
ages,  from  three  months  to  forty  years,  being  all  the 
slaves  Mr.  Minge  owned,  except  two  old  men,  whom 
he  had  likewise  manumitted,  but  who,  being  past  ser- 
vice, he  retains  and  supports  them. 

"  The  value  of  these  negroes,  at  the  prices  now 
going,  might  be  estimated  at  about  twenty-six  thou- 
sand dollars  !  and  Mr.  Minge  expended,  previous  to 
their  embarkation,  about  twelve  hundred  dollars  in 


EXTRAORDINARY    MUNIFICENCE.  235 

purchasing  ploughs,  hoes,  iron,  and  other  articles  of 
husbandry  for  them ;  besides  providing  them  with 
several  suits  of  clothes  to  each,  provisions,  groceries, 
cooking  utensils,  and  everything  which  he  supposed 
they  might  require  for  their  comfort  during  the 
passage,  and  for  their  use  after  their  arrival  out.  He 
also  paid  sixteen  hundred  dollars  for  the  charter  of 
the  vessel. 

"  But  Mr.  Minge's  munificence  does  not  end  here. 
On  the  bank  of  the  river,  as  they  were  about  to  go  on 
board,  he  had  a  peck  of  dollars  brought  down,  and 
calling  them  around  him,  under  a  tree,  he  distributed 
the  hoard  among  them,  in  such  sums,  and  under  such 
regulations,  that  each  individual  did,  or  would,  receive 
seven  dollars. 

"By  this  provision,  Mr.  Minge  thought  his  emi- 
grants would  be  enabled  to  commence  the  cultivation 
of  the  soil  immediately  after  their  arrival,  without 
being  dependent  on  President  Boyer  for  any  favor 
whatever,  unless  the  permission  to  improve  the  gov- 
ernment lands  be  so  considered. 

"  Mr.  Minge  is  about  twenty-four  or  twenty-five 
years  of  age,  unmarried,  and  unencumbered  in  every 
respect ;  possesses  an  ample  fortune,  and  received  the 
benefits  of  a  collegiate  education  at  Harvard  Uni- 
versity. 

"  We  have  heard  of  splendid  sacrifices  at  the  shrine 
of  philanthropy;  aged  men,  on  quitting  the  stage  of 
mortal  existence,  have  bequeathed  large  endowments 
to  public  charities,  and  princely  legacies  to  religious 


236       TEMPTATION  RESISTED  AND  HONESTY  REWARDED. 

and  moral  institutions.  But  where  shall  we  find  an 
instance  of  the  kind  attributable  to  a  man  of  Mr. 
Minge's  age  ?  The  case,  we  believe,  is  without  a 
parallel." 


TEMPTATION    RESISTED    AND     HONESTY 
REWARDED. 

*. 
FROM  DILLWYN'S  ANECDOTES. 

A  POOR  chimney  sweeper's  boy  was  employed  at  the 
house  of  a  lady  of  rank  to  sweep  the  chimney  of  the 
room  in  which  she  usually  dressed.  When  finding 
himself  on  the  hearth  of  a  richly-furnished  dressing- 
room,  and  perceiving  no  one  there,  he  waited  a  few 
moments  to  take  a  view  of  the  beautiful  things  in  the 
apartment. 

A  gold  watch,  richly  set  with  diamonds,  particularly 
caught  his  attention,  and  he  could  not  forbear  taking 
it  in.  his  hand.  Immediately  the  wish  rose  in  his 
mind,  "  Ah !  if  you  had  such  a  one !  "  After  a 
pause,  he  said  to  himself,  "  But  if  I  take  it  I  shall  be 
a  thief ;  and  yet,"  continued  he,  "  nobody  would  know 
it;  nobody  sees  me — nobody!  Does  not  God  see  me, 
•who  is  present  everywhere  ? "  Overcome  by  these 
thoughts,  a  cold  shivering  seized  him.  "  No,"  said 
he,  putting  down  the  watch,  "I  would  much  rather 
be  poor,  and  keep  my  good  conscience,  than  rich  and 
become  a  rascal."  At  these  words  he  hastened  back 
into  the  chimney. 


TEMPTATION  RESISTED  AND  HONESTY  BEWARDED.         237 

The  lady,  who  was  in  the  room  adjoining,  having 
overheard  the  conversation  with  himself,  sent  for  him 
the  next  morning,  and  thus  accosted  him  :  "  My  little 
friend,  why  did  you  not  take  the  watch  yesterday  ?  " 
The  boy  fell  on  his  knees,  speechless  and  astonished. 
"  I  heard  every  thing  you  said,"  continued  her  lady- 
ship ;  "  thank  God  for  enabling  you  to  resist  this 
temptation,  and  be  watchful  over  yourself  for  the 
future  :  from  this  moment  you  shall  be  in  my  service  : 
I  will  both  maintain  and  clothe  you  :  nay,  more,  pro- 
cure you  good  instruction,  which  will  assist  to  guard 
you  from  the  danger  of  similar  temptations." 

The  boy  burst  into  tears  ;  he  was  anxious  to  express 
his  gratitude,  but  could  not.  The  lady  strictly  kept 
her  promise,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  this  poor 
chimney-sweeper  grow  up  a  good,  pious  and  intelligent 
man. 

An  Indian,  being  among  his  white  neighbors,  asked 
for  a  little  tobacco  to  smoke,  and  one  of  them,  having 
some  loose  in  his  pocket,  gave  him  a  handful.  The 
day  following  the  Indian  came  back,  inquiring  for 
the  donor,  saying  he  had  found  a  quarter  of  a  dollar 
among  the  tobacco.  Being  told  that  as  it  was  given 
him  he  might  as  well  keep  it,  he  answered,  pointing  to 
his  breast,  "  I  got  a  good  man,  and  a  bad  man  here,  and 
the  good  man  say,  '  It  ain't  yours  ;  you  must  return  it 
to  its  owner  : '  the  bad  man  say,  '  Why,  he  gave  it  to 
you,  and  it  is  your  own  now :  '  the  good  man  say, 
c  That's  not  right ;  the  tobacco  is  yours,  not  the 


238  THE    GOOD    OLD    INDIAN. 

money  : '  the  bad  man  say,  '  Never  mind,  you  got  it, 
go  buy  some  dram : '  the  good  man  say,  '  No,  you 
must  not  do  so  : '  so  I  don't  know  what  to  do,  and  I 
think  I  go  to  sleep ;  but  the  good  man  and  the  bad 
keep  talking  all  night,  and  trouble  me ;  and  now  I 
bring  the  money  back  I  feel  good.1' 

Another  Indian  related,  that,  having  got  some 
money,  he  was,  on  his  way  home,  tempted  to  stop  at  a 
tavern  and  buy  some  rum ;  "  But,  "  said  he,  point- 
ing to  his  breast,  "  I  have  a  good  boy  and  a  bad  boy 
here ;  and  the  good  boy  say,  '  John,  don't  you  stop 
there  :  the  bad  one  say,  f  Poh,  John,  never  mind,  you 
love  a  good  dram : '  the  good  boy  say,  l  No,  John, 
you  know  what  a  fool  you  made  yourself  when  you 
got  drunk  there  before,  don't  do  so  again.'  When  I 
come  to  the  tavern,  the  bad  boy  say,  '  Come,  John, 
take  one  dram ;  it  won't  hurt  you : '  the  good  one 
say, '  No,  John,  if  you  take  one  dram,  then  you  take 
another  : '  then  I  don't  know  what  to  do,  and  the  good 
boy  say,  '  Run,  John,  hard  as  you  can ' — so  I  run 
away,  and  then,  be  sure,  I  feel  very  glad." 


THE  GOOD  OLD  INDIAN. 

CAPTAIN  JAMES  SMITH  relates,  that  he  was  taken 
prisoner  by  the  Indians  in  the  year  1755,  and  lived 
several  years  among  them.  At  one  time,  he  lived  with 


THE    GOOD    OLD    INDIAN.  239 

an  old  man  named  Tecaughretanego,  and  his  little  son, 
Nunganny ;  they  were  quite  alone,  and  there  were  not 
any  inhabitants  for  many  miles  around.  The  old  imn 
was  too  lame  to  go  out  hunting ;  it  was  winter  ;  they 
had  no  victuals ;  the  snow  was  on  the  ground,  arid  so 
frozen  as  to  make  a  great  noise  when  walked  on, 
which  frightened  away  the  deer,  and  the  captain 
could  not  shoot  anything  for  some  time. 

He  says :  "  After  I  had  hunted  two  days  without 
eating  anything,  and  had  very  short  allowance  for 
some  days  before,  I  returned  late  in  the  evening, 
faint  and  weary.  When  I  came  into  our  hut,  the  old 
man  asked  what  success.  I  told  him  not  any.  He 
asked  me  if  I  was  not  very  hungry.  I  replied  that 
the  keen  appetite  seemed  in  some  measure  abated,  but 
I  was  both  faint  and  weary. 

"  He  commanded  his  little  son  to  bring  me  some- 
thing to  eat ;  and  he  brought  me  a  kettle  with  some 
bones  and  broth.  After  eating  a  few  rnouthfuls  my 
appetite  violently  returned,  and  I  thought  the  vic- 
tuals had  a  most  agreeable  relish,  though  it  was  only 
fox  and  wildcat  bones,  which  lay  about  the  ground, 
which  the  ravens  and  turkey -buzzards  had  picked  ; 
these  Nunganny  had  collected,  and  boiled  until  the 
sinews  that  remained  on  them  would  strip  off.  I 
speedily  finished  my  allowance,  and  when  I  had  ended 
my  sweet  repast  the  old  man  asked  me  how  I  felt.  I 
told  him  I  was  much  refreshed. 

"  He  then  handed  me  his  pipe  and  pouch,  and  told 
me  to  take  a  good  smoke.  I  did  so.  He  then  s'aid 


240  THE    GOOD    OLD    IJfDIAN. 

he  had  something  of  importance  to  tell  me,  if  I  was 
now  composed  and  ready  to  hear  it.  I  told  him  I 
was  ready  to  hear  him.  He  said,  '  The  reason  why  I 
deferred  my  speech  till  now  is  because  few  men  are 
in  a  right  humor  to  hear  good  talk  when  they  are 
very  hungry,  as  they  are  then  generally  fretful  and 
discomposed ;  but  as  you  now  appear  to  enjoy  calm- 
ness and  serenity  of  mind,  I  will  communicate  to  you 
the  thoughts  of  my  heart,  and  those  things  I  know  to 
be  true. 

"  '  Brother,  as  you  have  lived  with  the  white  peo- 
ple, you  have  not  had  the  same  advantage  of  knowing 
that  the  great  Being  above  feeds  His  people,  and  gives 
them  their  meat  in  due  season,  as  we  Indians  have, 
who  are  freqtiently  out  of  provisions,  and  yet  are 
wonderfully  supplied,  and  that  so  frequently  that  it 
is  evidently  the  hand  of  the  Great  Spirit  that  does 
this  ;  whereas,  the  white  people  have  commonly  large 
stocks  of  tame  cattle,  that  they  can  kill  when  they 
please  ;  and  they  also  have  barns  and  cribs,  filled  with 
grain,  and  therefore  have  not  the  same  opportunity 
of  seeing  that  they  are  supported  by  the  Ruler  of 
heaven  and  earth. 

"  '  Brother,  I  know  you  are  now  afraid  that  we  will 
all  perish  with  hunger,  but  you  have  no  just  reason 
to  fear  this.  I  have  been  young,  but  I  am  now  gld. 
I  have  been  frequently  under  the  like  circumstances 
that  we  now  are,  and  some  time  or  another  in  almost 
every  year  of  my  life ;  yet  I  have  hitherto  been  sup- 
ported, and  my  wants  supplied  in  time  of  need. 


FAITH    OF   A   POOR    BLIND    WOMAN.  241 

" '  Brother,  the  Good  Spirit  sometimes  suffers  us 
to  be  in  want,  in  order  to  teach  us  our  dependence  on 
Him,  and  to  let  us  know  that  we  are  to  love  and  serve 
Him ;  likewise  to  know  the  Avorth  of  the  favors  that 
we  receive,  and  also  to  make  us  thankful. 

"  '  Brother,  be  assured  that  you  will  be  supplied 
with  food,  and  that  just  in  the  right  time  :  but  you 
must  continue  diligent  in  the  use  of  means :  go  to 
sleep,  and  rise  early  in  the  morning,  and  go  a  hunt- 
ing— be  strong,  and  exert  yourself,  like  a  man,  and 
the  Great  Spirit  will  direct  your  way.'  v 

The  captain  was  thus  encouraged  to  try  again  the 
next  morning,  though  much  disheartened  and  ex- 
tremely hungry.  He  went  a  great  distance  before  he 
could  shoot  anything  ;  but  at  length  he  shot  a  buffalo 
cow ;  thus  finding,  as  the  good  old  Indian  had  said, 
that  the  Great  Spirit  had  enabled  him  to  provide  for 
them  just  at  the  time  of  their  distress. 


FAITH  OF  A  POOR  BLIND  WOMAN. 

A  PERSON  going  to  see  a  very  aged  woman  of  color, 
found  a  respectable-looking  white  girl  sitting  by  her, 
reading  the  Bible  for  her.  On  inquiring  of  the  old 
woman  whether  she  could  ever  read,  the  visitor  was 
answered,  "  Oh,  yes,  mistress,  and  I  used  to  read  a 
great  deal  in  that  book  (pointing  to  a  Bible  very 
much  worn  that  lay  on  the  table),  but  now  I  am  most 
11 


242  AFBICAK   SCHOOLS   IN   NEW   YORK. 

blind,  and  the  good  girls  read  for  me  ;  but  by  and  by, 
when  I  get  on  Zion's  hill,  I  shall  then  see  as  well  as 
anybody." 

The  poor  of  this  world  are  often  found  rich  in  faith, 
and  their  confidence  in  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  a 
bountiful  Creator,  strong.  How  frequently,  on  visit  • 
ing  the  abodes  of  the  aged  and  the  infirm,  do  we  find 
this  verified :  one  saying,  when  something  is  handed 
her,  "  The  Lord  has  sent  me  this  ;  " — another,  "  The 
Lord  put  it  into  my  heart  to  be  industrious,  and  lay 
up  something  for  old  age,"  etc. 


AFRICAN  SCHOOLS  IN  NEW  YORK. 

THE  Clarkson  Association,  for  instructing  adult 
females  of  color,  commenced  in  the  spring  of  1811, 
and  was  conducted  ten  or  twelve  years  by  a  number 
of  young  ladies  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  This  was 
the  first  institution  that  came  under  the  appellation 
of  Sabbath-school  in  this  city,  where  there  are  now  so 
many. 

It  was  taught  on  that  day,  because  those  people 
had  generally  more  leisure  to  attend  than  on  other 
days  of  the  week  ;  but  these  benevolent  ladies  soon 
appropriated  also  one  afternoon  in  the  middle  of  the 
week,  for  such  as  were  at  liberty  to  attend.  There 
were  a  considerable  number  of  aged  women,  as  well  as 
those  in  the  piime  of  life,  who  learned  to  read,  and 


AFRICAN   SCHOOLS    IN   NEW   YORK.  243 

rejoiced  greatly  in  the  acquisition.  There  were  also 
schools  kept  by  young  men,  for  adults  of  color  of  the 
other  sex. 

"  There  is  one  remarkable  fact  connected  with  the 
effects  of  this  excellent  school  upon  the  moral  con- 
dition of  the  colored  people.  At  every  term  of  the 
Court  of  Sessions  in  this  city,  there  are  many  colored 
persons  convicted  of  crimes,  and  sent  to  the  State 
pi'ison  or  penitentiary.  This  school  has  now  been  in. 
operation  a  number  of  years,  and  several  thousands  of 
scholars  have  received  the  benefits  of  a  good  thorough 
English  education,  and  but  three  persons  who  have 
been  educated  here  have  been  convicted  in  our  criminal 
courts." 

Several  girls,  who  have  received  their  education  at 
this  school,  have  gone  with  their  parents  to  Hayti, 
whe.re  they  will  be  capable  of  teaching  schools,  and 
may  be  of  singular  benefit.  Two  interesting  letters, 
written  in  a  very  fair  intelligible  hand,  by  one  of 
these  girls  about  fourteen  years  old,  have  been  re- 
ceived by  E.  J.  Cox ;  extracts  from  which  are  here 
subjoined. 

"  REPUBLIC  OF  HAYTI,  ) 

"CITY  OF  ST.  DOMINGO,  Sept.  29,  1824.  i 

"  DEAR  TEACHER  : — With  pleasure  I  hasten  to  in- 
form you  of  our  safe  arrival  in  St.  Domingo,  after  a 
passage  of  twenty-one  days.  Mother  and  myself  were 
very  much  afflicted  with  sea-sickness  for  about  nine 
or  ten  days,  but  after  that  we  enjoyed  a  little  of  the 
pleasures  of  our  voyage. 


244  AFRICAN    SCHOOLS    IN   NEW   YORK. 

"  On  our  arrival,  we  were  conducted  by  the  captain 
of  the  port  to  the  governor's  house,  where  we  were 
received  by  him  with  all  the  friendship  that  he  could 
have  received  us  with  had  we  been  intimately  ac- 
quainted for  years.  After  informing  him  of  our 
intention  of  residing  on  the  island,  we  were  conducted 
to  the  residence  of  the  second  general  in  command, 
where  we  had  our  names  registered. 

"  From  thence  we  went  to  see  the  principal  chapel 
in  the  city ;  to  give  a  description  of  which,  it  requires 
a  far  abler  pen  than  mine  ;  "  (she,  howerer,  mentions 
many  particulars  ;)  "  but  you  cannot  form  an  idea  of 
it,  unless  you  could  see  for  yourself.  After  we  had 
viewed  the  church  throughout,  we  were  conducted  to 
our  lodging,  at  which  place  we  are  at  present.  Since 
we  have  been  here,  my  sampler  and  bench-cover  have 
been  seen  by  a  number  of  ladies  and  gentlemen,  and 
have  been  very  much  admired  by  all  who  have  seen 
them. 

"  Dear  teacher,  notwithstanding  we  are  hundreds 
of  miles  from  each  other,  I  hope  you  will  not  think 
that  I  shall  forget  you,  or  those  kind  friends  (I  mean 
the  trustees),  who  have  been  so  kind  to  me  :  for  had 
it  not  been  for  them  and  yourself,  perhaps  I  never 
should  have  known  one  half  what  I  do,  as  respects 
my  education  ;  for  which,  for  them  and  you,  to  God  I 
shall  offer  up  my  humble  pra}7ers  for  your  welfare, 
both  in  this  life  and  that  which  is  to  come. 

"  I  am,  with  respect,  yours, 

"  SERENA  M.  BALDWIN." 


THE    INJURED    AFRICANS.  245 

THE  INJURED  AFRICANS. 

FROM  THE  NEW  YORK  OBSERVER 1826. 

IN  our  paper  of  the  21st  of  January  we  inserted  a 
communication  from  a  correspondent  giving  an  ac- 
c#unt  of  an.  aged  colored  woman  who  emigrated  with 
her  husband  from  New  Orleans  to  this  city  last  sum- 
mer, bringing  with  her  another  colored  woman  whom 
ske  had  rescued  from  slavery  at  the  expense  of  her 
little  all.  The  object  of  these  poor  people  in  coming 
to  New  York  was  simply  to  enjoy  the  privileges  of 
the  gospel  without  interruption. 

A  benevolent  gentleman  of  our  acquaintance  whose 
feelings  were  much  interested  in  the  account  which  we 
published,  and  who  has  since  repeatedly  visited  this 
interesting  family,  has  put  into  our  hands  the  following 
particulars  of  their  history  for  publication.  The  name 
of  the  husband  is  Iteuben,  that  of  his  wife,  Betsey,  and 
that  of  their  companion,  Fanny. 

Reuben  Madison,  the  husband,  was  bom  in  Vir- 
ginia, near  Port  Royal,  about  the  year  1781.  His 
parents,  and  all  his  connections  in  this  country,  were 
slaves.  His  father  died  when  he  was  about  seven 
years  old.  His  mother  is  now  living  in  Kentucky, 
enjoying  freedom  in  her  old  age,  through  the  filial  re- 
gard of  Reuben,  who  purchased  her  liberty  for  seventy 
dollars.  She  is  seriously  disposed,  but  not  a  professor 
of  religion. 


246  THE    INJURED    AFRICANS. 

He  has  now  eight  brothers  and  sisters  living  in 
Frankfort,  Franklin  county,  Kentucky,  all  slaves,  and 
all,  excepting  one,  members  of  a  Baptist  church  in 
that  place.  About  a  year  after  his  conversion  Reu- 
ben was  married  to  a  slave,  who  had  been  kidnapped 
in  Maryland  and  sold  to  a  planter  in  his  neighbor- 
hood. She  was  also  hopefully  pious. 

While  they  lived  together  she  became  the  mother  of 
two  children  ;  but  about  four  years  after  their  mar- 
riage she  and  one  of  the  children,  aged  eight  months, 
•were  sold  without  his  knowledge,  and  transported  to  a 
distant  Spanish  territory,  and  with  so  much  secrecy 
that  he  had  no  opportunity  even  to  bid  her  a  last  fare- 
well. "  This,"  said  he,  "  was  the  severest  trial  of  my 
life,  a  sense  of  sin  only  excepted.  I  mourned  and 
cried,  and  would  not  be  comforted. 

"  After  several  months,  however,  the  hope  of  meet- 
ing her  and  my  children  again  in  the  kingdom  of  God, 
when  we  should  never  be  separated,  together  with  a 
promise  from  my  master  that  I  should  at  some  future 
time  go  to  see  her,  in  some  measure  allayed  my  grief, 
and  permitted  me  to  enjoy  the  consolations  of  religion." 
The  other  child  is  now  a  slave  in  Kentucky,  though  the 
father  has  often  endeavored  in  vain  to  purchase  his 
freedom. 

About  six  years  since,  having  hired  his  time  of  his 
master  for  five  years  previous,  at  120  dollars  a  year, 
Reuben  succeeded,  by  trafficking  in  rags,  and  in  other 
ways,  in  collecting  a  siim  sufficient  for  the  purchase  of 
his  own  freedom,  for  which  he  paid  700  dollars,  and 


THE    INJURED    AFRICANS.  247 

not  only  so,  but  he  was  enabled,  with  his  surplus  earn- 
ings, to  build  a  brick  house,  and  to  provide  it  with 
convenient  accommodations.  By  the  dishonesty  of 
his  former  master,  however,  all  was  taken  from 
hiii). 

Thus  stripped  of  his  property,  he  left  Kentucky  and 
went  to  New  Orleans,  that  he  might  learn  something 
from  his  wife,  and,  if  possible,  find  and  redeem  her ; 
but  he  only  succeeded  in  gaining  the  painful  intelli- 
gence that  she  was  dead.  He  there  formed  an  ac- 
quaintance with  his  present  wife,  whose  former  name 
was  Betsey  Bond,  and  they  were  soon  married.  The 
circumstances  of  her  life  were  briefly  these  : 

Betsey  was  born  a  slave,  near  Hobb's  Hole,  Essex 
county,  Virginia,  about  1763,  and  was  married  to  a 
slave  at  about  the  age  of  twenty  years.  By  him  she 
had  three  children,  one  of  which,  together  with 
her  husband,  died  a  few  years  after  their  marriage. 
Soon  after  their  death,  she  was  led  to  reflect  on  her 
lost  state  as  a  sinner,  and  after  about  seven  months  of 
deep  anxiety  was  enabled,  as  she  trusts,  to  resign  her- 
self into  the  hands  of  her  Saviour,  and  experience 
those  consolations  which  He  deigns  to  grant  to  the 
broken-hearted  penitent. 

She  gained  the  confidence  and  attachment  of  her 
mistress,  who  treated  her  with  much  kindness,  and  she 
was  married  to  a  pious  servant  of  the  family,  where 
she  remained  about  nine  years.  At  the  close  of  this 
period  a  planter  from  the  vicinity  of  Natchez,  coming 
to  Alexandria  in  Virginia,  where  she  then  lived,  for 


248  THE    INJURED    AFRICANS. 

slaves,  she  was  sold,  and  carried,  with  eight  others,  to 
his  plantation,  leaving  her  husband  behind. 

Her  new  master  treated  her  with  great  severity, 
and  she  was  compelled  to  labor  almost  incessantly 
every  day  of  the  week,  Sabbath  not  excepted.  With 
this  man  she  lived  nineteen  years.  He  then  died,  and 
left  his  slaves,  by  will,  to  another  planter,  who  also 
dying  soon  after,  she  was  again  sold  and  transported 
to  New  Orleans,  where  she  arrived  about  the  year 
1812. 

At  the  end  of  two  years  this  master  also  died ; 
and  when  his  slaves  were  about  to  be  sold,  Betsey 
succeeded  with  some  difficulty  in  hiring  her  time,  and 
in  a  little  more  than  a  year,  by  washing  and  other 
labor,  she  acquired  sufficient  property  to  purchase  her 
freedom,  for  which  she  paid  250  dollars.  Her  young- 
est son  and  his  wife  being  also  slaves  in  New  Orleans, 
she  hoped  to  obtain,  by  her  industry  and  economy, 
money  sufficient  to  purchase  them  also;  but  their 
master  refused  to  part  with  them. 

Several  years  after  a  large  number  of  slaves  were 
brought  to  New  Orleans  from  Virginia,  and  were 
aboxit  to  be  offered  for  sale,  and  Fanny  was  among  tho 
number.  Having  accidentally  become  acquainted 
with  her,  previous  to  the  sale,  and  finding  her  a  sister 
in  Christ,  Betsey's  feelings  were  deeply  interested,  and 
she  resolved  to  purchase  her,  and  to  treat  her  not  as 
a  slave,  but  as  a  child  and  companion. 

This  determination  she  communicated  to  Fanny,  and 
with  the  aid  of  a  gentleman  she  succeeded  in  accom- 


THE    INJURED    AFRICANS.  249 

plishing  her  object.  The  price  was  250  dollars.  She 
paid  200,  her  all,  and  obtained  a  short  credit  for  the 
remainder.  Soon  after  this  her  present  husband,  com- 
ing to  New  Orleans,  as  before  stated,  they  were  mar- 
ried, and  the  payment  for  Fanny  was  then  com- 
pleted. 

By  their  united  industry  they  were  soon  able  to 
build  a  comfortable  house,  in  which  they  set  apart  a 
room  for  religious  purposes.  Here  they  assembled 
with  others  ev-ery  Sabbath,  for  the  worship  of  God. 
But  being  constantly  exposed  to  disturbance  in  their 
worship,  they  felt  a  great  desire  to  go  to  a  free  State, 
where  they  might  enjoy  religious  privileges  un- 
molested ;  where  they  could  unite  with  Christian 
friends  in  social  prayer  and  conversation,  without. 
a  soldier  with  a  drawn  sword  stationed  at  their 
door. 

They  fixed  upon  New  York  as  the  desired  asylum ; 
and  having  arranged  their  concerns,  rented  their  house, 
and  collected  their  effects,  they  engaged  and  paid  their 
passage,  which  was  seventy  dollars,  and  sailed  from 
New  Orleans  about  the  12th  of  July,  1825,  with  pleas- 
ing anticipations,  for  a  land  of  freedom  and  religious 
privileges. 

They  suffered  much  on  the  voyage,  through  the  cru- 
elty of  the  captain ;  being  exposed  without  shelter, 
during  the  whole  of  the  passage,  either  on  deck  or  in 
the  longboat.  In  consequence  of  this  exposure,  both 
of  the  women  were  taken  sick ;  and  in  this  condition 
they  arrived  at  New  York,  and  were  landed  on  the 
11* 


250  THE    INJURED    AFRICANS. 

wharf  in  a  land  of  strangers,  their  money  almost  ex- 
pended, and  none  to  commiserate  their  sufferings. 

After  a  few  days,  however,  Reuben  succeeded  in 
obtaining  a  miserable  cellar  in  Chapel  Street,  at  sixty 
dollars  annual  rent,  where  he  remained  for  some  time, 
supporting  the  family  in  their  sickness,  by  his  labor 
as  a  shoemaker,  and  by  the  sale  of  some  of  his  effects. 

On  his  arrival  at  this  port  his  first  act  was  to  grant 
entire  freedom  to  Fanny,  giving  her  liberty  to  live 
•with  him,  or  to  go  where  she  pleased.  She  chose  to 
remain  with  him ;  and  she  assisted  in  the  support 
of  the  family  by  washing  and  other  labor,  and  nursed 
her  mistress,  who  was  evidently  declining  with  the 
consumption,  occasioned  doubtless  by  the  severity  of 
her  treatment  on  the  passage  from  New  Orleans. 

Not  being  able  to  pay  their  rent  in  advance,  owing 
to  their  sickness  and  other  expenses,  their  landlord 
compelled  them  to  quit  their  residence  ;  and  they  have 
since  been  obliged  to  put  up  with  still  more  miserable 
accommodations  in  a  cellar  in  Elm  Street. 

They  appeared  to  put  their  trust  and  confidence  in 
God,  and  expressed  their  entire  belief  that  all  their 
trials  were  designed  for  their  good.  They  seemed  to 
be  one  in  sentiment  and  feeling,  and  to  manifest  a 
spirituality  of  mind  rarely  to  be  found.  Every  little 
attention  was  most  gratefully  received,  and  the  best 
of  blessings  were  implored  on  him  who  bestowed  it. 

With  some  assistance  from  the  benevolent,  and  with 
what  they  may  receive  from  New  Orleans  for  rent,  it 
is  believed  they  may  be  provided  with  a  comfortable 


HENRY    BO YD.  251 

house,  and  be  introduced  to  those  privileges  which  they 
so  ardently  desire.  No  one  of  the  family  can  read, 
though  they  are  all  desirous  to  learn,  and  from  a  little 
attention  which  their  friends  have  given  them  it  ap- 
pears that  they  may  be  taught  without  difficulty. 

It  is  an  affecting  thought,  that  the  wrongs  of  this 
poor  woman,  which  commenced  at  her  birth,  and  were 
inflicted  without  interruption  during  the  long  years  of 
slavery,  still  followed  her  on  her  passage  to  the  land 
of  freedom,  and  have  been  finally  consummated  in  this 
city,  the  city  of  her  hopes,  her  fancied  asylum  from 
the  oppressor. 


HENEY  BOYD. 

FROM    THE    ANTI-SLAVERY    RECORD. 

HENRY  BOYD  was  born  a  slave  in  Kentucky.  Of 
imposing  stature,  well-knit  muscles,  and  the  counte- 
nance of  one  of  nature's  noblemen.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen  he  had  so  far  won  the  confidence  of  his 
master,  that  he  not  only  consented  to  sell  him  the 
right  and  title  to  his  freedom,  but  gave  him  his  own 
time  to  earn  the  money. 

With  a  general  pass  from  his  master,  Henry  made 
his  way  to  the  Kenhawa  salt  works,  celebrated  as  the 
place  where  Senator  Ewing,  of  Ohio,  chopped  out  his 
education  with  his  axe  !  And  there,  too,  with  his  axe, 
did  Henry  Boyd  chop  out  his  liberty.  By  performing 


252  HENRY    BOYD. 

double  labor,  he  got  double  wages.  In  the  daytime 
he  swung  his  axe  upon  the  wood,  and  for  half  the 
night  he  tended  the  boiling  salt-kettles,  sleeping  the 
other  half  by  their  side. 

After  having  accumulated  a  sufficient  sum,  he  re- 
turned to  his  master  and  paid  it  over  for  his  freedom. 
He  next  applied  himself  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  car- 
penter and  joiner.  Such  was  his  readiness  to  acquire 
the  use  of  tools,  that  he  soon  qualified  himself  to  re- 
ceive the  wages  of  a  journeyman.  In  Kentucky  pre- 
judice does  not  forbid  master  mechanics  to  teach  col- 
ored men  their  trades. 

He  now  resolved  to  quit  the  dominions  of  slavery 
and  try  his  fortunes  in  a  free  State,  and  accordingly 
directed  his  steps  to  the  city  of  Cincinnati.  The 
journey  reduced  his  purse  to  the  last  quarter  of  a  dol- 
lar /  but,  with  his  tools  on  his  back  and  the  con- 
sciousness of  his  ability  to  use  them,  he  entered  the 
city  with  a  light  heart.  Little  did  he  dream  of  the 
reception  he  was  to  meet.  There  was  work  enough 
to  be  done  in  his  line,  but  no  master  workman  would 
employ  a  colored  man. 

Day  after  day  did  Henry  Boyd  offer  his  services 
from  shop  to  shop,  but  as  often  was  he  repelled,  gen- 
erally with  insult,  and  once  with  a  kick.  At  last,  he 
found  the  shop  of  an  Englishman,  too  recently  arrived 
to  understand  the  grand  peculiarity  of  American  feel- 
ing. This  man  put  a  plane  into  his  hand,  and  asked 
him  to  make  proof  of  his  skill.  "This  is  in  bad  or- 
der," said  Boyd,  and  with  that  he  gave  the  instru- 


HENRY  BOYD.  253 

ment  certain  nice  professional  knocks  with  the  ham- 
mer, till  he  brought  it  to  suit  his  practised  eye. 

"  Enough,"  said  the  Englishman ;  "  I  see  you  can  use 
tools."  Boyd,  however,  proceeded  to  dress  a  board  in 
a  very  able  and  workmanlike  manner,  while  the  jour- 
neymen from  a  long  line  of  benches  gathered  around 
with  looks  that  bespoke  a  deep  personal  interest  in  the 
matter.  "  You  may  go  to  work,"  said  the  master  of 
the  shop,  right  glad  to  employ  so  <  good  a  workman. 
The  words  had  no  sooner  left  his  mouth  than  his 
American  journeymen,  unbuttoning  their  aprons, 
called,  as  one  man,  for  the  settlement  of  tlieir 
wages. 

"  What !  what !  "  said  the  amazed  Englishman, 
"  what  does  this  mean  ?  "  "  It  means  that  we  will 
not  work  with  a  nigger"  replied  the  journeymen. 
"  But  he  is  a  first-rate  workman."  "  But  we  won't 
stay  in  the  same  shop  with  a  nigger  /  we  are  not  in 
the  habit  of  working  with  niggers"  "  Then  I  will 
build  a  shanty  outside,  and  he  shall  woi'k  in  that." 
"  No,  no  ;  we  won't  work  for  a  boss  who  employs  nig- 
gers.  Pay  us  up,  and  we'll  be  off."  The  poor  master 
of  the  shop  turned  with  a  despairing  look  to  Boyd — 
"  You  see  how  it  is,  my  friend  ;  my  workmen  will  all 
leave  me.  I  am  sorry  for  it,  but  I  can't  hire  you." 

Even  at  this  repulse  our  adventurer  did  not  de- 
spair. There  might  still  be  mechanics  in  the  outskirts 
of  the  city  who  had  too  few  journeymen  to  be  bound 
by  their  prejudices.  His  quarter  of  a  dollar  had  long 
since  disappeared,  but,  by  carrying  a  traveller's  trunk 


254  HENRY    BOYD. 

or  turning  his  hand  to  any  chance  job,  he  contrived 
to  exist  till  he  had  made  application  to  every  carpen- 
ter and  joiner  in  the  city  and  its  suburbs.  Not  one 
would  employ  him.  By  this  time,  the  iron  of  preju- 
dice, more  galling  than  anything  he  had  ever  known 
of  slavery,  had  entered  his  soul. 

He  walked  down  to  the  river's  bank  below  the  city, 
and  throwing  himself  upon  the  ground,  gave  way  to 
an  agony  of  despair.  He  had  found  himself  the  object 
of  universal  contempt ;  his  plans  were  all  frustrated, 
his  hopes  dashed,  and  his  dear-bought  freedom,  made 
of  ho  effect !  By  such  trials,  weak  minds  are  pros- 
trated in  abject  and  slavish  servility,  and  stronger 
ones  are  made  the  enemies  and  depredators  of  society  ; 
it  is  only  the  highest  class  of  moral  heroes  that  come 
off  like  gold  from  the  furnace. 

Of  this  class,  however,  was  Henry  Boyd.  Recover- 
ing from  his  dejection,  he  surveyed  the  brawny  mus- 
cles that  strung  his  Herculean  frame.  A  new  design 
rushed  into  his  mind,  and  new  resolution  filled  his 
heart.  He  sprang  upon  his  feet  and  walked  firmly 
and  rapidly  towards  the  city,  doubtless  with  aspira- 
tions that  might  have  suited  the  words  of  the  poet : 

"  Thy  spirit,  Independence,  let  me  share, 
Lord  of  the  lion  heart  and  eagle  eye." 

The  first  object  which  attracted  his  "  eagle  eye,"  on 
reaching  the  city,  was  one  of  the  huge  river  boats 
laden  with  pig  iron,  drawn  up  to  the  landing.  The 
captain  of  this  craft  was  just  inquiring  of  the  merchant 


HENRY    BO YD.  255 

who  owned  its  contents  for  a  hand  to  assist  in  unload- 
ing it.  "  I  am  the  very  fellow  for  you,"  said  Boyd, 
stripping  off  his  coat,  rolling  up  his  sleeves,  and  laying 
hold  of  the  work.  "  Yes,  sure  enough,  that  is  the 
very  fellow  for  you,"  said  the  merchant. 

The  resolution  and  alacrity  of  Boyd  interested  him 
exceedingly,  and  during  the  four  or  five  days  in  which 
a  flotilla  of  boats  were  discharging  their  cargoes  of  pig 
iron  with  unaccustomed  despatch,  he  became  familiar 
with  his  history,  with  the  exception  of  all  that  per- 
tained to  his  trade,  which  Boyd  thought  proper  to 
keep  to  himself.  In  consequence,  our  adventurer  next 
found  himself  promoted  to  the  portership  of  the 
merchant's  store,  a  post  which  he  filled  to  great  satis- 
faction. 

He  had  a  hand  and  a  head  for  everything,  and  an 
occasion  was  not  long  wanting  to  prove  it.  A  joiner 
was  engaged  to  erect  a  counter,  but  failing,  by  a  drunk- 
en frolic,  the  merchant  was  disappointed  and  vexed. 
.Rather  in  passion  than  in  earnest,  he  turned  to  his 
faithful  porter  :  "  Here,  Henry,  you  can  do  almost 
anything,  why  can't  you  do  this  job  ?  "  "  Perhaps 
I  could,  sir,  if  I  had  my  tools  and  the  stuff,"  was  the 
reply.  "  Your  tools  !  "  exclaimed  the  merchant  in 
surprise,  for  till  now  he  knew  nothing  of  his  trade. 

Boyd  explained  that  he  had  learned  the  trade  of  a 
carpenter  and  joiner,  and  had  no  objection  to  try  the 
job.  The  merchant  handed  him  the  money,  and  told 
him  to  make  as  good  a  counter  as  he  could.  The  work 
was  done  with  such  promptitude,  judgment  and  finish 


256  HEXRY    BO  YD. 

that  his  employer  broke  off  a  contract  for  the  erection 
of  a  large  frame  warehouse,  which  he  was  about  clos- 
ing with  the  same  mechanic  who  had  disappointed  him 
in  the  matter  of  the  counter,  and  gave  the  job  to 
Henry. 

The  money  was  furnished,  and  Boyd  was  left  to 
procure  the  materials  and  boss  the  job  at  his  own  dis- 
cretion. This  he  found  no  difficulty  in  doing,  and 
what  is  remarkable,  among  the  numerous  journeymen 
whom  he  employed,  were  some  of  the  very  men  who 
took  off  their  aprons  at  his  appearance  in  the  English- 
man's shop  !  The  merchant  was  so  much  pleased  with 
his  new  warehouse,  that  he  proceeded  to  set  up  the  in- 
telligent builder  in  the  exercise  of  his  trade  in  the  city. 

Thus  Henry  Boyd  found  himself  raised  at  once  al- 
most beyond  the  reach  of  the  prejudice  which  had 
well-nigh  crushed  him.  He  built  houses  and  accu- 
mulated property.  White  journeymen  and  appren- 
tices were  glad  to  be  in  his  employment,  and  to  sit  at 
his  table.  He  is  now  a  wealthy  mechanic,  living  in 
his  own  house  in  Cincinnati  ;  and  his  enemies  who 
have  tried  to  supplant  him  have  as  good  reason  as  his 
friends  to  know  that  he  is  a  man  of  sound  judgment 
and  a  most  vigorous  intellect. 

Without  having  received  a  day's  schooling  in  his 
life,  Henry  Boyd  is  well  read  in  history,  has  an  exten- 
sive and  accurate  knowledge  of  geography,  is  an  excel- 
lent arithmetician,  and  is  remarkable  for  his  moral- 
ity, generosity,  and  all  those  traits  which  mark  a  no- 
ble character. 


QUAMINO    BUCCAN.  257 

QTJAMINO  BUCCAN, 

A      PIOUS      METHODIST. 

QUAMINO  was  born  in  the  vicinity  of  New  Bruns- 
wick, New  Jersey,  in  1762,  and  was  a  slave.  In  his 
ninth  year  he  was  hired  for  a  term  of  years  to  a  per- 
son named  Schenk,  who  employed  him  as  a  house- 
servant,  and  who  soon  after  removing  to  Poughkeep- 
sie,  New  York,  took  the  lad  with  him.  The  unsettled 
state  of  the  country  during  the  Revolutionary  War, 
prevented  communication  with  his  old  master,  and 
Quamino  had  no  hope  of  seeing  his  former  friends ; 
but  in  his  eightieth  year  he  was  informed  that  his 
master  had  sent  for  him.  On  his  return  to  New 
Jersey  his  old  associates  had  so  grown  that  he  felt 
like  a  stranger  in  his  old  home. 

When  nearing  the  age  of  manhood  he  was  steady 
in  attending  religious  meetings,  walking  several  miles 
through  all  kinds  of  weather.  His  own  account  of 
his  motive  in  going  was  that  he  "  liked  to  have  the 
name  of  being  a  good  boy."  But  whatever  his  motive 
in  going,  the  meetings  were  a  blessing  to  him.  One 
Sabbath  evening  on  reaching  home  he  went  to  the 
barn,  where,  after  earnest  exercise  in  prayer,  he  slept 
upon  the  straw.  Yery  early  in  the  morning  he  went 
into  the  field  to  work,  first  kneeling  by  the  fence. 
Being  in  great  distress,  the  gracious  words  of  the 
Saviour  deeply  impressed  him  :  "  Let  not  your  heart 
be  troubled.  Ye  believe  in  God,  believe  also  in  Me." 


258  QUAMINO    BUCCAN. 

Yielding  his  whole  heart  and  all  his  powers  to  Him 
who  was  calling  for  the  sacrifice,  he  felt  that  he  re- 
ceived the  unspeakable  gift. 

He  went  to  -his  work  ;  "  and  oh,"  said  he,  "  every- 
thing was  glorious  around  me — everything  seemed  to 
be  praising  God." 

The  change  which  had  come  over  the  boy  was  con- 
spicuous to  all  around  him ;  he  was  quiet  and 
diligent  in  attention  to  all  his  duties.  From  this 
time  Quamino  iinderstood  the  nature  of  that  peace 
"  which  passeth  all  understanding."  On  the  Sabbath 
he  would  get  the  carriage  ready,  and  when  his  master 
had  started  he  would  walk  several  miles  across  the 
fields  to  the  Methodist  meeting,  but  always  left  before 
the  conclusion  of  the  services,  as,  if  not  at  home  in 
time  to  take  the  horses  when  the  family  arrived,  he 
was  sure  to  be  found  fault  with,  if  not  punished. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-six  he  married  Sarah,  a  slave 
on  a  neighboring  place.  She  was  soon  sold  to  a  dis- 
tance of  five  miles,  and  for  some  years  they  only  met 
once  a  week.  One  Sabbath  morning  he  went  to  see 
her,  and  found  that  she  and  her  infant  had  been  sold, 
leaving  her  little  son,  a  boy  nearly  four  years  old. 
She  now  had  a  hard  master;  but,  through  the  efforts 
of  her  husband,  she  was  purchased  by  a  neighbor, 
and,  at  length,  by  the  removal  of  this  purchaser, 
Quamino  induced  his  second  master  (to  whom  he  had 
been  sold  when  about  thirty  years  old)  to  buy  her. 
Afterwards  Dr.  Griffith  bought  Quamino  for  $250,  and 
Sarah  for  $150. 


QUAMIXO    BUCCAN.  259 

At  the  death  of  Dr.  Griffith  his  goods  and  chattels 
(including  his  slaves)  were  advertised  to  be  sold  at 
public  auction.  The  sale  commenced,  and  Quamino 
and  Sarah  became  objects  of  much  attention;  but  a 
letter  was  received  from  Wm.  Griffith,  the  son  and 
executor  of  the  late  master,  directing  that  everything 
should  be  sold  to  the  highest  bidder  except  the  car- 
riage and  horse,  and  that  with  these  Quamino  should 
bring  Sarah  to  Burlington.  "  Oh,  my  dear  friend," 
said  he  in  narrating  it,  "  you  do  not  know  how  I 
felt." 

Wm.  Griffith  was  not  only  an  eminent  lawyer  but 
bore  a  part  in  originating  the  New  Jersey  Abolition 
Society.  For  this  excellent  man,  whose  "  record  is 
on  high,"  Quamino  worked  to  the  best  of  his  ability. 
One  day,  as  he  was  at  work  in  the  garden,  he  heard 
his  name  called,  and  seeing  his  master  beside  him,  he 
modestly  said,  "  Sir  !  "  We  will  describe  what  took 
place  in  the  good  old  man's  words.  Says  he  : 

"  Would  you  like  to  be  free  ?  "  and  I  said,  "  I  don't 
know,  sir."  He  stood  in  silence  a  little  while,  and  I 
went  on  working  the  same  as  before.  At  last  he 
said,  ( I've  made  up  my  mind  to  give  you  free  ; '  and 
says  I,  '  you  give  me  free,  master  ?  '  Oh,  it  all  came 
on  me  so  unexpected  !  And  then  he  up  and  told  me 
all  how  he  would  do  :  '  When  I  call  you,  you  must  take 
your  wife  by  the  hand  and  come  into  my  office.'  One 
day  he  called  me  to  bring  niy  wife.  I  went  in  the 
kitchen,  and  said,  '  Mother,  Mr.  Griffith  says  you 
must  come  along  with  me  to  the  office.'  She  stroked 


260  QUAMINO    BUCCAN. 

her  apron,  and  we  went,  and  found  the  office  full  of 
gentlemen,  and  there  we  stood  as  if  we  were  just  mar- 
ried." After  answering  some  qxiestions  they  went 
back  to  their  work,  and  their  certificate  of  freedom  was 
recorded  in  the  clerk's  office  in  Burlington.  They  were 
then  hired  at  ten  dollars  a  month.  Quamino  was 
then  forty-four  years  old.  When  asked  by  some  of 
his  old  friends,  if  he  was  happier  since  he  received  his 
freedom,  he  said,  "  I  don't  know  much  about  freedom, 
but  I  would'nt  be  a  slave  again  if  you'd  give  me  the 
best  farm  in  the  Jarsies." 

In  the  year  1 842,  when  he  was  eighty  years  old, 
his  wife  died  suddenly.  As  the  remains  of  Sarah 
were  borne  from  their  humble  home,  he  stood  at  the 
door,  supported  by  his  crutches,  the  teal's  streaming 
down  his  cheeks.  "  Farewell,"  said  he,  "  I  shall  see 
her  no  more,  till  we  meet  within  the  Pearl  Gates." 
Sarah  was  not  inferior  to  her  husband,  to  whom  she 
was  a  helper  in  spiritual  and  temporal  things.  He 
felt  this  bereavement  keenly,  his  situation  without  her 
was  forlorn.  Living  alone  in  his  house,  too  feeble  to 
dress  himself,  his  son,  who  was  out  at  service,  would 
put  him  to  bed  at  night,  and  come  in  the  morning  to 
dress  him.  Arrangements  were  made  by  several 
families  to  furnish  him  with  dinner,  each  taking  a 
particular  day ;  and  this  plan  was  pursued  for  eight 
years.  His  landlord  supplied  his  morning  and  even- 
ing meal,  until  Quamiuo's  sight  entirely  failed,  when 
a  faithful  care-taker  was  provided  for  him. 

Charles  Taber,  a  Friend  and  a  Minister,  from  Canada, 


QUAMINO    BUCCAK.  2G1 

visited  him  one  morning,  and  was  fervently  engaged 
in  prayer.  When  he  rose  from  his  knees  Quamino 
exclaimed,  "  Now  I  know  that  my  prayer  was  heard. 
Pis  morning,  after  blessing  and  praising  de  Master 
for  taking  care  of  me  through  de  night,  I  asked  Him 
to  please  to  send  me  something  to  comfort  me  through 
the  day,  and  now  He  sent  you  to  me,  oh,  my  dear 
friend  !  " 

Speaking  of  the  evidence  of  evil  around  us,  he  said, 
"  God  is  His  own  interpreter  and  my  comforter,  and 
He  will  make  all  things  plain."  Referring  to  his 
pains,  he  said,  "  The  Lord  is  the  physician — He  has 
a  balm  for  every  wound.  It  seems,  as  I  sit  here,  I 
have  a  view  over  Jordan.  We  must  pass  Jordan's 
swelling  flood,  and  then  we'll  be  in  the  promised 
land." 

In  reference  to  his  blindness,  he  said,  that  with 
his  natural  sight  and  comprehension  he  had  never 
been  able  to  conceive  the  half  of  the  glory  which 
should  be  revealed,  or  to  form  a  conception  of  the 
"  good  things  "  held  in  store  even  for  so  poor  a  crea- 
ture as  he  felt  himself  to  be.  "  How  long  I  have  to 
remain  in  this  state,"  he  exclaimed,  "the  Lord 
knows.  I  resign  myself  in  His  hands,  and  to  His 
wisdom.  Oh,  the  Lord  moves  with  me  so  beautiful ! 
I  trust  the  Lord  has  enabled  me  to  seek  and  to  find 
His  face  and  favor." 

Being  inquired  of  concerning  his  health,  he  replied, 
"That  he  could  not  wish  to  be  better — that  he  was 
so  composed  in  mind,  so  calm  and  peaceable.  Oh, 


262  QUAMINO   BUCCAN. 

the  glorious  prospect  I  have  in  view »  I  can't  see 
anything  of  this  world,  but  there  seems  to  be  a  hov- 
ering around  me.  If  the  heart  is  composed  to  His 
will,  what  can  trouble  us  ?  Blessed  Master,  please 
to  give  me  an  insight  into  Thy  will."  He  spoke  of 
the  comfort  and  strength  which  is  afforded  him  to 
hear  the  Holy  Scriptures  read. 

"  Oh,"  said  he,  "  if  I  could  only  find  words  to  ex- 
press the  feelings  I  have  when  I  am  alone — and  yet 
I  do  not  feel  that  I  am  alone  either.  He  cares  for 
us  and  provides  for  us ;  but  He  is  all  in  ail,  and  over 
all ;  He  leads  us  by  His  spirit ;  He  don't  compel  us, 
but  enables  us.  Oh,  my  blessed  Saviour,  teach  me, 
oh,  teach  me  the  measure  of  my  days,  that  I  may  turn 
my  thoughts  more  to  it.  But  I  trust  in  the  Lord 
that  He  will  prepare  me  and  keep  me  to  the  end." 

Wm.  J.  Allinson  called  on  him  one  morning.  He 
found  the  old  man,  who  was  108  yeai-s  of  age,  sitting 
in  his  chair  ;  he  gave  his  visitor  an  earnest  welcome, 
and  his  tongue  was  eloquent  with  rejoicing  praises 
of  Him  who  had  made  him  meet  for  an  inheritance 
with  the  saints  in  light.  "  Glory  be  to  my  blessed 
Master,"  he  cried  again  and  again,  clasping  his  hands 
like  an  artless  and  overjoyed  child.  On  this  occasion, 
and  indeed  in  almost  every  interview,  he  devoutly  ex- 
pressed his  thankfulness  that,  although  deprived  of 
sight,  his  reason  and  memory  were  spared  him ;  and 
this  was  remarkably  the  case  to  the  last  moment  of 
existence. 

"  My  dear  friend  has  been  to  visit  me  once  more," 


EMANCIPATION    IN    NEW   YORK.  263 

he  exclaimed  repeatedly  after  this  parting.  This  was 
his  last  conversation  with  any  one,  except  a  few  words 
to  his  son  and  his  attendant.  In  the  night  he  called 
his  son,  and  with  his  mental  powers  apparently  clear 
to  the  last,  and  conscious  that  his  end  had  arrived, 
his.  purified  and  enfranchised  spirit  deserted  the  clay 
tenement ;  and  who  can  doubt  his  welcome  into  the 
joy  of  the  Lord? 

A  few  weeks  afterwards  a  sermon  relating  to  Qua- 
mino  was  preached  by  the  pastor  of  the  Methodist 
congregation  to  which  this  aged  Christian  belonged. 
The  text  was,  "  This  poor  man  cried,  and  the  Lord 
heard  him,  and  delivered  him  out  of  all  his  troubles." 
Psalm  xxxiv.  6. 

"  See  thy  Saviour  bending  o'er  thee, 

Even  to  old  age  the  same, 
Set  life's  one  chief  end  before  thee, 

Still  to  glorify  its  name  ; 
While  on  Himself  is  fixed  thy  sight, 
At  evening-time  there  shall  be  light." 


EMANCIPATION  IN  NEW  YORK. 

THE  period  fixed  by  law  for  the  termination  of 
slavery  in  the  State  of  New  York  was  the  4th  of  July, 
1827.  According  to  the  census  of  1820,  there  were 
20,279  free  persons  of  color,  and  10,092  slaves  in  the 
State  ;  making  in  all  30,371. 


264  THE    FREEDMEN    OF    AMERICA. 


THE   FREEDMEN  OF  AMERICA. 

DURING  the  four  years'  war  commencing  1861  the 
colored  people  fled  from  bondage,  and  gathered  in 
large  numbers  around  Washington,  and  in  those  parts 
of  Virginia  which  were  in  possession  of  the  United 
States  Government.  Sometimes  one  thousand  refu- 
gees came  to  the  freedmen's  settlement  in  a  week, 
and  most  of  them  had  travelled  on  foot  for  several 
days,  with  scant  food  and  clothing.  They  rejoiced 
greatly  when  they  arrived  at  a  place  of  refuge,  and  be- 
came free  men  and  women.  The  able-bodied  men 
were  employed  by  the  Government,  but  the  sick  and 
aged,  the  women  and  children,  were  cared  for  by  dif- 
ferent benevolent  associations  of  the  churches  at  the 
North  and  West.  The  Religious  Society  of  Friends 
always  cherished  a  deep  feeling  for  the  enslaved  peo- 
ple of  color,  and  after  sending  agents  to  ascertain  the 
condition  of  the  freedmen  in  the  camps  and  quarters 
assigned  to  them  by  the  Government,  they  earnestly 
labored  to  feed,  clothe  and  teach  those  for  whom  they 
had  long  solicited  the  boon  of  freedom. 

Believing  some  incidents  and  anecdotes  from  letters 
received  from  the  agents  of  Friends  will  be  interest- 
ing to  many,  the  following  extracts  are  presented : 

"  It  is  difficult  to  make  a  connected  account  of  our 
visit  among  the  freedmen  at  Washington  and  else- 
where. We  went  into  .their  cabins,  the  tents,  and  the 
hospitals,  looking  into  the  condition  of  the  poor  peo- 


THE  FREEDMEN  OF  AMERICA.         265 

pie  congregated  there.  Their  stories  may  be  consider- 
ed almost  trifling  in  themselves,  and  yet  summed  up  as 
a  whole — a  people's  history — they  tell  the  oft-repeated 
tale  of  sorrow,  degradation,  and  oppression  in  slavery ; 
of  hunger  and  cold,  of  sickness  and  suffering,  patient- 
ly and  uncomplainingly  borne,  in  their  great  struggle 
for  freedom.  Every  sacrifice,  every  privation  seems 
insignificant  compared  to  the  blessed  boon  of  liberty, 
to  them  and  to  their  children.  '  The  good  Lord  Jesus 
has  at  last  heard  our  prayers  and  sent  Uncle  Abram 
to  set  us  free.' 

"  They  come  to  the  Union  as  little  children  would 
to  a  parent,  with  perfect  confidence  that  they  will  be 
helped.  The  younger  women  mostly  had  their  chil- 
dren with  them,  but  the  older  ones  had  all  come  off 
'  wid  'lations  and  friends.'  In  a  severe  snow-storm 
one  thousand  arrived,  with  only  the  clothes  on  their 
backs.  Their  utter  poverty  is  terrible.  During  this 
storm  we  had  not  clothes  for  the  children,  who  were 
crying  to  get  out  of  bed.  Nine  hundred  came  yester- 
day— all  ragged ;  their  masters  had  not  given  them 
clothes,  some  for  a  year,  others  for  two  years.  All 
beg  for  Bibles." 


"  The  rope-walk  is  a  very  long  building  divided 
into  cabins  j  it  is  where  the  refugees  come  at  first. 
In  each  cabin  live  four  or  five  families.  It  is  the 
most  interesting  place  to  visit.  There  are  over  five 
hundred  people  there,  fresh  from  slave-life,  and  re- 


266  THE    FREEDMEN    OF    AJ1ERICA. 

joicing  over  their  freedom.  Not  being  able  to  read, 
they  often  burst  out  as  we  are  reading  to  them  with, 
'  Well,  I  never  heard  that  before.' 

"  The  beautiful  doctrine  of  the  golden  rule  seems 
almost  new  to  them.  It  is  true  the  religious  element 
is  very  strong  in  them,  but  their  manner  of  receiving 
it  is  very  different  from  our  ideas.  Although  they 
may  be  what  they  call  converted,  they  need  plain 
words  of  moral  truth  for  every-day  life.  They  have 
plenty  of  faith  and  thankfulness,  but  not  Christ's  law 
of  love  in  their  hearts  to  govern  every  action. 

"  We  stopped  at  a  church  and  witnessed  one  of 
their  religious  excitements — women  all  rocking  their 
bodies  and  singing  weird  choruses ;  then  some  one  get- 
ting excited  above  the  others,  and  throwing  herself 
about,  jumping  and  screaming.  We  stayed  \miil 
they  were  out,  and  all  down  the  aisles  they  sang  aud 
shouted — real  fine,  full  voices,  and  the  words  more 
strange  than  all.  All  the  women  had  that  swaying 
motion  so  peculiar  to  them. 

"The  boxes  were  handed  over  to  me  on  the  19th 
of  January.  From  that  date  to  the  7th  of  May,  I 
have  given  out  twenty-six  hundred  and  twenty  gar- 
ments, large  and  small.  For  the  last  ten  days  we 
have  been  very  busy.  During  the  last  engagement 
on  the  battle-field,  hundreds  have  come,  more  than, 
can  possibly  find  shelter  here.  I  have  witnessed  some 
of  the  arrivals  at  the  depot.  At  the  sound  of  the 
whistle,  many  anxious  hearts  and  longing  eyes  are 
seeking  their  friends.  Here  mothers  find  their  long- 


THE    FREEDMEN    OF    AMERICA.  207 

lost  children.  Husbands  and  wives,  brothers  and  sis- 
ters, meet  after  long  separation.  One  good  old 
mother  here  found  six  of  her  children  in  one  group. 
One  poor  mother,  with  seven  children,  was  inquiring 
for  her  husband :  the  answer  was,  '  he  is  dead !  ' 
The  small -pox  left  that  record  for  this  poor  mother. 

"  We  saw  one  noble-looking  man,  not  far  from 
seven  feet  high,  in  mere  rags  and  bare  feet.  Our  No. 
12's  looked  like  baby-shoes  beside  them;  but  I  heard 
of  a  pair  of  No.  19  at  the  Commissary,  which  they  were 
very  glad  to  exchange.  The  old  man  had  had  a  hard 
master,  and  had  been  driven  off '  without  food  enough 
to  cover  a  pin.'  But  I  never  saw  such  a  flash  of  joy 
as  when  I  said,  (  But,  uncle,  you  have  such  a  good, 
kind  master  now,  and  such  a  beautiful  home  up  in 
heaven.'  '  Oh,  missis,  it's  that,  it's  jest  that,  that's 
'stained  me  all  along.'  They  all  seemed  so  grateful, 
and  we  had  a  happy  day  indeed." 


"  They  learn  surprisingly  fast ;  they  were  very 
anxious  to  learn  to  reckon.  I  said  I  would  repeat 
the  multiplication  table  if  they  would  try  to  remem- 
ber it.  I  repeated  the  2's  once,  and  they  said  it  after 
me  in  concert.  I  then  questioned  them,  and  though 
they  had  never  heard  it  before,  quite  a  number  re- 
membered the  whole. 

"  One  little  fellow  in  the  school  being  asked  if  he 
knew  his  letters,  said,  promptly,  '  Yes,  ma'am.' 


268  THE    FKEEDMEN    OF   AMEHICA. 

"  Well,  what  else  do  you  know  ? 
"  Drawing  himself  up  to  his  full  height,  which  might 
be  about  four  feet,  he  replied,  '  I  know  a 'heap.'  " 


"  Freedraan's  Village,  near  Arlington,  is  really  an 
attractive-looking  place ;  comfortable  houses,  nicely 
white-washed ;  a  school-house,  capable  of  accommo- 
dating two  or  three  hundred  children,  and  a  '  Home ' 
for  the  aged  and  infirm.  Fervor  and  earnestness  per- 
vade the  sermons  and  prayers  of  the  colored  people 
here.  One  gave  thanks  for  '  the  glorious  privilege 
that  we  ain't  all  dead  and  shut  up  in  hell.' 

"  Some  of  us  might  not  have  realized  before  that  ifc 
was  a  glorious  privilege  to  be  still  left  on  earth,  either 
as  faithful  servants,  to  do  the  Master's  bidding,  or  to 
become  reconciled  to  Him  before  we  were  snatched 
away  with  no  alternative  but  to  be  '  shut  up  in  hell.' 

"  You  would  have  been  touched  to  witness  their 
grief  at  the  death  of  our  beloved  President.  Every 
tenanted  hut  was  decked  with  some  badge  of  mourn- 
ing. Thousands  went  to  look  at  their  emancipator, 
as  he  lay  in  state  in  the  White  House.  Aunt  Cicily, 
who  bore  the  yoke  of  slavery  one  hundred  and  ten 
years,  looked  on  Mr.  Lincoln  with  a  reverential  feel- 
ing, beautiful  to  behold  in  one  so  aged — '  for  the 
privilege,'  she  says,  '  that  he  gave  me  to  die  free.' " 


THE    FREEDMEN    OF   AMERICA.  269 

"  Some  old  men  who  had  learned  to  read  while  in 
slavery,  said,  '  We  toted  massa's  children  to  school, 
stayed  all  day,  and  then  toted  them  back.  We  learned 
to  read,  and  massa  didn't  know  it;  and  now  we  can 
read  de  blessed  Book  ourselves.  De  good  people  of 
de  North  have  been  bery  good,  bery  good  to  us. 
Jesus  tell  dein  to  help  de  poor  slave  :  by-and-by  we 
can  help  ourselves.  We  tank  you  all  bery  much  ! ' 
Mother,  child,  and  grandchild  sometimes  go  hand-in- 
hand  to  the  school-room.  The  stimulating  motive 
with  most  of  the  adults  is  a  fervent  desire  to  read  the 
Bible."  

"  The  marriage  record  kept  among  the  Freedmen, 
shows  that  a  large  part  of  the  marriages,  especially  at 
first,  wei'e  of  those  who  had  lived  together  as  husband 
and  wife,  perhaps  many  years,  without  an  opportuni- 
ty to  be  legally  united.  One  old  man,  of  almost 
three-score  and  ten,  was  thus  joined  in  lawful  mar- 
riage to  his  venerable  wife.  At  the  conclusion  of  the 
ceremony,  when  the  pastor  extended  his  hand  with 
the  nuptial  benediction,  and  dismissed  them  with  a 
short  prayer,  they  dropped  on  their  knees  together, 
their  eyes  streaming  with  tears  of  thankfulness,  and 
still  kneeling,  the  old  man  reached  out  both  arms  and 
hugged  her  to  his  heart,  saying  aloud,  '  My  dear  old 
woman,  I  bless  God  that  I  can  now,  for  the  first  time, 
kiss  my  own  lawful  wife.'  " 


270  IETTERS    FROM    A    LADY. 

An  agent,  under  date  5th  month,  1863,  writes: 
"  When  I  first  wrote  to  thee,  the  supply  of  excel- 
lent clothing,  furnished  by  New  York  Friends,  and 
other  quarters,  seemed  so  ample  that,  to  my  eyes,  the 
subject  of  further  need,  did  not  suggest  itself.  I 
thought  the  time  must  come  when  such  wants  must 
be  satisfied.  But  that  time  dawns  not  yet.  The  hos- 
pitals for  colored  people  are  a  heavy  drain  on  the 
clothing.  Now,  that  the  army  advances,  there  are 
daily  arrivals  of  freedmen  ;  they  come  with  only  the 
clothing  they  have  on,  and  must  have  a  change  to  pre- 
serve health. 


LETTERS  FROM  A  LADY  AGENT   IN   RICH- 
MOND,  1866. 

"  IN  my  jaunt  to  Deep  Creek,  and  to  the  poor  cabins 
in  Dismal  Swamp,  I  helped  mend  six  bridges  before 
our  horse  could  cross,  borrowing  rails  from  the  fence. 
It  was  a  very  hard  trip — no  chance  for  a  single  din- 
ner while  gone — but  it  paid.  The  same  night  I 
mended  bridges,  I  found  work  of  a  different  kind. 
Going  on  business  to  the  Bute  Street  Church,  I  found 
a  love-feast  under  full  headway  :  about  two  hundred 
were  present ;  the  excitement  terrible  among  the 
young  converts,  who,  in  their  frantic  leaps,  broke 
lamps  and  windows,  and  filled  the  house  with  perfect 
uproar.  I  found  the  new  pastor  dared  not  risk  his 
popularity  by  checking  it.  Courage  was  given  me  to 


LETTERS    FROM    A    LADY.  271 

make  my  way  to  the  pulpit,  when  I  at  once  had 
permission  to  speak.  All  was  still  as  need  be,  while 
I  appealed  to  their  judgment,  and  the  teachings  of 
the  Bible.  I  saw  I  had  the  sympathy  of  most,  and 
when  at  last,  1  said,  '  wait  till  the  wind,  and  the 
earthquake,  and  the  fire  have  all  passed  by,  and  then 
go  to  your  homes  and  listen  to  the  still  small  voice  by 
which  God  himself  will  teach  you;  and  oh,  re- 
member, my  young  sisters,  that  the  proof  of  your 
growth  in  grace  is  not  the  feelings  you  have  here  to- 
night, but  the  life  you  will  lead  to-morrow. '  There 
was  svich  an  earnest  '  amen,'  all  over  the  house,  as 
gave  me  hope  again  that  they  will  rise  above  this  great 
delusion.  Many  came  to  thank  me.  '  It  was  just 
what  we  needed,  and  they  will  hear  it  from  you.' " 

"  Deeply  impressed  with  the  moral  wants  of  these 
poor  creatures,  especially  the  women,  and  their  need 
of  friendly  counsel  in  their  new  position,  I  have 
opened  Mother's  meetings — now  held  weekly,  in  earch 
of  our  three-school  districts — where  they  are  invited 
to  come  with  their  work  and  their  babies.  I  talk 
familiarly  with  them  about  their  household  matters, 
the  cheapest  and  most  wholesome  food,  the  best  \vaya 
of  cooking  it,  and  the  right  care  of  their  children, 
and  their  duties  to  their  husbands — often  being  greatly 
helped  out  in  my  own  stock  of  knowledge  by  the 
practical  experience  of  some  nice  old  aunty,  who  tells 
how  she  manages,  till  the  whole  group  is  at  ease  and 
can  confide  their  troubles  and  trials.  Then  I  read, 
teach,  or  talk  to  them.  Finally,  all  lay  aside  their 


272  LOVE    FOR    THE    BIBLE. 

work,  and  the  babies  are  hushed  up,  while  they  listen 
to  a  chapter  from  the  Bible;  and  the  devotional 
pause  at  the  close  is  solemn  and  impressive.  Those 
who  cannot  spare  two  or  three  hours,  hurry  in  at  the 
last,  and  I  hear  them  saying  '1'se  just  goin'  over  to 
prayers,  'paars  like  it  gives  me  such  a  lift.' " 


LOVE  FOR  THE  BIBLE. 

AT  a  great  fire  in  the  city  of  New  York  a  hundred 
houses  had  been  burned.  Dr.  Ely  overtook  a  colored 
woman  who  was  carrying  under  one  arm  a  bundle  of 
wood,  and  under  the  other  a  large  Bible. 

"  Poor  woman,"  said  he,  "  have  you  been  burnt  out 
too  ?  "  "  Yes,  sir,"  said  she,  "  but  blessed  be  God, 
I'm  alive."  "  You  are  very  old  to  be  turned  out  of 
house  and  home."  "  I'm  well  stricken  in  years,  but 
God  does  it."  "  Have  you  saved  nothing  but  the 
Bible  ?  "  "  Nothing,"  said  she,  "  but  one  trunk  of 
things  ;  but  this  blessed  Book  is  worth  more  than  all 
the.rest ;  it  makes  me  feel  better  than  all  the  rest. 
So  long  as  I  keep  this,  I  am  content." 


HYMN.  273 


HYMN. 

SUNG  AT  CHRISTMAS  BY  THE    SCHOLABS  AT  ST.  HELENA'S 
ISLAND,  S.  C. 

O  NONE  in  all  the  world  before 

Were  ever  glad  as  we  ! 
We're  free  on  Carolina's  shore, 

We're  all  at  home  and  free. 

Thou  Friend  and  Helper  of  the  poor, 

Who  suffered  for  our  sake, 
To  open  every  prison  door, 

And  every  yoke  to  break, 

Bend  low  Thy  pitying  face  and  mild, 

And  help  us  sing  and  pray ; 
The  hand  that  blessed  the  little  child, 

Upon  our  foreheads  lay. 

We  hear  no  more  the  driver's  horn, 

No  more  the  whip  we  fear ; 
This  holy  day  that  saw  Thee  born, 

Was  never  half  so  dear. 

The  very  oaks  are  greener  clad, 

The  waters  brighter  smile  ; 
O  never  shone  a  day  so  glad 

On  sweet  St.  Helen's  isle. 

We  praise  Thee  in  our  songs  to-day, 

To  Thee  in  prayer  we  call ; 
Make  swift  the  feet  and  straight  the  way, 

Of  freedom  unto  all. 


274  A    TEMPERANCE    MEETING    IN   AFRICA. 

Come  once  again,  0  blessed  Lord ! 

Come  walking  on  the  sea  ! 
And  let  the  main-lands  hear  the  word 

That  sets  the  islands  free. 


J.  G.  WHITTIER. 


A  TEMPERANCE  MEETING  IN  AFRICA. 

JAMES  BACKHOUSE,  an  English  Friend  and  a  minis- 
ter, published  a  journal  of  his  mission  in  Africa,  in 
which  he  says,  under  date  of  December  1st,  1838 — 

This  is  the  memorable  day  in  which  slavery  ceased 
in  Cape  Colony,  South  Africa.  We  arrived  at  Han- 
key  in  time  to  join  a  considerable  congregation  of 
those  who  had  been  in  bondage — natives  of  Mada- 
gascar and  Mozambique,  as  well  as  home-born  slaves  ; 
they  had  come  from  the  surrounding  country  to  unite 
with  those  on  the  mission  station  in  praising  God  for 
their  deliverance  from  bondage.  In  the  evening  a 
meeting  was  held,  when  several  Hottentots  (natives  of 
South  Africa)  and  freedmen  addressed  the  congrega- 
tion. The  next  day  was  "  a  Sabbath  day,"  and  truly 
"  a  high  day."  About  five  hundred  freed  slaves  and 
Hottentots  assembled  early  in  the  morning ;  they  held 
a  prayer-meeting,  in  which  the  language  of  thanksgiv- 
ing was  held  forth  by  one  lately  in  slavery,  and  appro- 
priate hymns  were  sung.  I  exhorted  the  liberated  to 
seek,  through  Jesus  Christ,  deliverance  from  that 


A  TEMPERANCE  MEETING  IN  AFRICA.      275 

worst  of  bondage — slavery  to  sin.  In  the  evening  of 
the  third  day  a  temperance  tea-meeting  was  held  in 
the  chapel.  A  suspended  wheel-tire  was  struck  for  a 
bell,  to  call  them  to  assemble.  The  men  sat  at  the 
tables  on  one  side  of  the  chapel,  and  the  women  at 
the  other  side ;  tea  and  cakes  were  dealt  out  by  some 
of  the  women.  All  were  remarkably  clean,  and  con- 
ducted themselves  with  sober  cheerfulness  and  looks 
full  of  interest.  After  the  Missionary  had  returned 
thanks  and  made  a  brief  address,  it  was  my  privilege 
to  follow  him  in  recommending  total  abstinence  from 
intoxicating  liquors.  Several  Hottentots  and  freed 
slaves  then  addressed  the  meeting,  which  afterwards 
adjourned  for  a  short  interval  at  milking  time.  On 
re-assembling,  George  W.Walker  spoke  at  some  length, 
and  several  others. 

At  half-past  ten  the  Missionary  suggested  that  it 
would  be  unseasonable  to  continue  the  meeting  longer  ; 
he  therefore  opened  a  book  of  signatures  to  the  total- 
abstinence  pledge,  and  one  hundred  and  sixty  new 
names  were  received.  As  neither  my  companion,  G. 
W.  Walker,  nor  1  had  hitherto  signed  such  a  pledge, 
we  also  added  our  names.  A  sweet  sense  of  the  love 
of  God  overshadowed  this  meeting. 

Some  attention  had  been  paid  to  temperance  from 
the  early  institution  of  this  settlement.  The  children 
have  so  little  idea  of  what  drunkenness  is,  that  in 
1842,  when  an  Englishman  appeared  in  a  state  of  in- 
toxication, some  of  them  ran  away,  thinking  he  was 
mad  ;  others  thought  he  must  be  ill  becaxise  he  stag- 


276  LIBERTY    TO    THE    CAPTIVE. 

gered,  but  others   feared   lie  was   blind,  and  offered 
to  lead  him. 

At  the  expiration  of  a  year  from  this  period,  only 
one  of  the  persons  who  signed  the  pledge  on  this  day, 
was  known  to  have  broken  it,  and  that  only  to  the 
amount  of  taking  a  single  glass  of  wine. 


LIBERTY  TO  THE  CAPTIVE. 

WRITTEN     ON     THE     ANNIVERSARY    OP     BRITISH     EMANCI- 
PATION. 

OH,  Holy  Father  !   just  and  true 

Are  all  thy  works,  and  words,  and  ways ; 
And  unto  Thee  alone  are  due 

Thanksgiving  and  eternal  praise  ! 
As  children  of  Thy  gracious  care, 

We  veil  the  eye — we  bend  the  knee  ; 
With  broken  words  of  praise  and  prayer, 

Father  and  God,  we  come  to  Thee. 

For  Thou  hast  heard,  O  God  of  Right ! 

The  sighing  of  the  island  slave, 
And  stretched  for  him  the  arm  of  might, 

Not  shortened  that  it  could  not  save. 
The  laborer  sits  beneath  his  vine, 

The  shackled  soul  and  hand  are  free — 
Thanksgiving ! — for  the  work  is  Thine ! 
Praise ! — for  the  blessing  is  of  Thee  ! 

WHITTIER. 


\zns  . 


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